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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 · pound · ball · snap · file · chair · lash · bass

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. firm — steady
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. ball — a dance
  5. chair — a leader
  6. snap — to click
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. firm — a company
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. ball — a great time
  12. file — a document
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bass — the fish
  17. file — a line of people
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bass — low music
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. firm — decided

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