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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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. date — on the calendar
  3. pass — a permit
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. snap — to click
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. sharp — clever
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. race — a contest
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. race — humankind
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. date — the fruit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. race — the arms race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. lash — to lash out

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