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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. snap — to click
  14. ground — a position
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — the earth

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