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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: charge · band · snap · jam · bark · hand · bear · bass

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bark — to shout
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. band — a music group
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hand — help
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. bass — the fish
  16. band — a ring
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. snap — to click
  20. charge — a price
  21. bass — low music
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bark — of a tree

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