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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. can — a tin
  5. roll — a list
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. roll — a cake
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chair — a leader
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. can — a tin
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. can — to be able to
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. roll — on a roll

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