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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. last — finally
  6. bear — the animal
  7. last — to go on
  8. bear — the animal
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. snap — to click
  18. club — for dancing
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. club — a group
  22. last — final
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. leaves — to go away

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