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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. chest — of your body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mate — a friend
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. mate — to breed
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. last — finally
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. last — to go on
  17. snap — to click
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mate — a partner
  20. last — final
  21. plane — a tool
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. chest — a box

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