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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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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: saw · mate · arm · tube · rest · bass · lash · snap

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rest — a break
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rest — what's left
  16. saw — the tool
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mate — a partner
  19. tube — a container
  20. bass — low music
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. snap — to click
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. lash — to lash out

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