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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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. rash — hasty
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. root — the cause
  9. lean — thin
  10. root — of a word
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. snap — to click
  13. root — of a plant
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bore — to drill
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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