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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: snap · bass · cue · roll · arm · trunk · spring · drill

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. drill — a practice
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. roll — a cake
  8. cue — a hint
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. roll — a list
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. spring — the season
  13. snap — to click
  14. drill — the tool
  15. cue — for pool
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cue — a signal
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. drill — army training
  20. spring — of water
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bass — the instrument

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