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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bear — the animal
  4. snap — to click
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. club — for dancing
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. club — a group
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. club — for golf
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bear — the animal
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. lash — to lash out

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