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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fan · rock · rash · snap · bass · key · mate · file

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rock — music
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. key — for a lock
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. key — the most important part
  8. file — a tool
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mate — to breed
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rock — a stone
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a line of people
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. key — in music
  24. snap — to click

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