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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. snap — to click
  7. pop — soda
  8. rash — a series
  9. kick — in football
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pop — music
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pop — to visit
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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