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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
468
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: bass · chest · fan · firm · ground · chip · saw · snap

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. chest — a box
  4. bass — low music
  5. firm — decided
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. saw — the tool
  8. snap — to click
  9. chip — to eat
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chest — of your body
  13. firm — steady
  14. chip — for betting
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bass — the fish
  17. chest — of your body
  18. firm — a company
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. fan — a supporter

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