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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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. bat — in an idiom
  3. firm — decided
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. firm — a company
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bat — the animal
  18. firm — steady
  19. spell — letters
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. snap — to click
  22. craft — boats
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. craft — a skill

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