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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. object — a thing
  3. lean — to bend
  4. swing — music
  5. object — an aim
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. root — of a plant
  8. swing — to play on
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — a series
  13. object — to protest
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. plane — a tool
  16. swing — in golf
  17. root — the cause
  18. rash — hasty
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. root — of a word
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. lean — thin
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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