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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: wave · ground · rush · snap · march · bass · mark · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. snap — to click
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mark — a grade
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rush — hurry
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. ground — a position
  15. march — the month
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. ground — the earth
  20. march — music
  21. bass — low music
  22. march — the month
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wave — of the sea

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