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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. court — of a king
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. court — for sport
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. snap — to click
  9. wake — a trail
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. court — of law
  15. stem — to come from
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat

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