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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rash — hasty
  7. roll — a cake
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. object — an aim
  13. snap — to click
  14. roll — a list
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rash — a series
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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