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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. drill — a practice
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. drill — the tool
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. drill — army training
  11. snap — to click
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. kid — to tease
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. coach — a trainer

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