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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 116 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: firm · mate · squash · snap · tube · staff · pop · bass

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. firm — steady
  3. pop — to visit
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bass — low music
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. firm — a company
  8. snap — to click
  9. squash — the sport
  10. tube — a container
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pop — music
  13. mate — a friend
  14. staff — employees
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pop — soda
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. firm — decided
  23. staff — employees
  24. mate — a partner

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