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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 · object · snap · season · file · lie · row · saw

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. row — a line
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. object — a thing
  5. file — a line of people
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. season — of the year
  10. object — to protest
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bass — low music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. saw — the tool
  20. season — in sport
  21. file — a tool
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. snap — to click
  24. file — a document

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