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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: bank · snap · mark · lash · game · wound · bass · cap

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bank — for money
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mark — a trace
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bank — of a river
  12. snap — to click
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bank — for money
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wound — an injury
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. game — a match
  21. bass — low music
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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