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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 116 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: hide · craft · wave · bass · snap · ball · bowl · lean

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bass — low music
  5. snap — to click
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. lean — thin
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. lean — to bend
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bass — the fish
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a handicraft

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