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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. suit — clothes
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. shower — rain
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. snap — to click
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wax — to grow
  19. spring — of water
  20. shower — to wash
  21. suit — to fit
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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