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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. shower — rain
  7. root — of a plant
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. root — the cause
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. swing — to play on
  13. craft — a skill
  14. swing — music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. craft — boats
  19. swing — in golf
  20. shower — to wash
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. root — of a word
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. lash — an eyelash

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