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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mate — to breed
  5. can — a tin
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — to paddle
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. snap — to click
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bat — the animal
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. can — a tin
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. row — a line

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