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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: bulb · snap · bass · nail · rash · pit · mouse · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rash — hasty
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. snap — to click
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rash — a series
  19. bass — low music
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pit — a hole
  24. tear — to rip

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