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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.

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: lean · suit · sharp · wave · snap · bass · hide · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bass — the fish
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. lean — to bend
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. sharp — clever
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bass — low music
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. tube — the underground

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