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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.

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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: saw · snap · mug · spell · lash · fine · spring · bass

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mug — to rob
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spring — of water
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. saw — the tool
  11. spring — the season
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bass — the fish
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spell — a short time
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. spell — letters
  21. mug — a cup
  22. snap — to click
  23. spell — magic
  24. mug — a face

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