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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bass · leaves · mine · snap · jam · bear · rush · mate

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mate — a friend
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. mate — a partner
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bass — low music
  16. bear — the animal
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bear — the animal
  24. snap — to click

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com