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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. spring — a coil
  16. snap — to click
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. spring — the season
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. spring — of water
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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