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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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. ball — a round shape
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. charge — in control
  7. face — part of the head
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. snap — to click
  12. face — to confront
  13. wind — moving air
  14. charge — a price
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wind — moving air
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chip — to eat
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ball — a great time
  22. face — to point toward
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. charge — electricity

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