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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 116 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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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. lash — an eyelash
  3. file — a line of people
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. chair — a leader
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. snap — to click
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a tool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. suit — in cards
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. suit — to fit
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. suit — clothes
  24. nail — for a hammer

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