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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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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: pop · snap · ball · spell · bass · bound · lash · leaves

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bound — obliged
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. pop — to visit
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. pop — soda
  17. bass — low music
  18. ball — a great time
  19. spell — a short time
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. ball — a dance
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bass — the fish

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