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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. stock — goods
  10. snap — to click
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. kick — in football
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. present — the time now
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stock — shares
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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