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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 120 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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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. fork — to eat with
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wake — a trail
  13. snap — to click
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wave — with your hand

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