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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pitch — completely
  6. firm — a company
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. clip — to cut
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. clip — for paper
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. firm — decided
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. firm — steady
  21. clip — a video
  22. snap — to click
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pitch — a sports field

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