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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. snap — to click
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rock — a stone
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. ground — a position
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — child
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rock — music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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