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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: row · snap · spring · firm · fan · bass · squash · stock

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. row — to paddle
  3. firm — a company
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. firm — decided
  7. squash — to crush
  8. firm — steady
  9. stock — goods
  10. spring — a coil
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. spring — the season
  13. row — a line
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bass — the fish
  17. spring — of water
  18. stock — shares
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. snap — to click

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