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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spell · lash · snap · can · bass · straw · rash · racket

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. spell — letters
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bass — the fish
  10. spell — magic
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. snap — to click
  17. can — to be able to
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rash — a series
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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