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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: tube · suit · net · lash · current · snap · bass · mug

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. current — electric
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — to rob
  5. net — for catching
  6. current — of water
  7. net — in sport
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. suit — clothes
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. tube — a container
  13. bass — low music
  14. mug — a face
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. suit — to fit
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. net — after costs
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. snap — to click
  21. bass — the fish
  22. current — happening now
  23. tube — the underground
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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