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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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 speak sharply
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pop — soda
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pop — music
  6. club — for dancing
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. pop — to visit
  10. club — a group
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hand — help
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. snap — to click
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chair — a leader
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. club — for golf
  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