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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.

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: file · snap · lash · bass · ball · mine · clip · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. clip — for paper
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bass — low music
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. file — a tool
  14. clip — to cut
  15. object — an aim
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bass — the fish
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — for digging
  22. snap — to click
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. clip — a video

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