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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wind · pass · pitcher · bass · leaves · key · snap · hand

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. snap — to click
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wind — moving air
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bass — low music
  14. wind — moving air
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. key — for a lock
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pass — a permit
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — in music

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