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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.

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: key · pass · degree · lie · snap · bark · bass · season

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. key — the most important part
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bass — low music
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. season — of the year
  13. snap — to click
  14. season — in sport
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — an amount
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bark — to shout

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