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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rash — hasty
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rash — a series
  9. snap — to click
  10. hand — help
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. mug — a face
  13. face — to confront
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mug — a cup
  18. face — to point toward
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. hand — in cards
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mug — to rob
  24. lash — to lash out

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