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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 120 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: wake · snap · lash · cue · bass · mine · object · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mine — for digging
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bass — low music
  8. object — a thing
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wake — a trail
  12. cue — a hint
  13. snap — to click
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. object — to protest
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lean — to bend
  22. object — an aim
  23. bass — the fish
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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