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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.

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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: roll · swing · snap · lean · bass · ground · lie · jam

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bass — the fish
  3. swing — in golf
  4. roll — a cake
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bass — low music
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. swing — music
  11. lie — to recline
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. lean — to bend
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. lean — thin
  19. snap — to click
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. lie — an untruth

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