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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. club — for dancing
  3. snap — to click
  4. row — a line
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. fork — in a road
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. club — for golf
  10. row — to paddle
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bank — for money
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. lean — thin
  15. bank — for money
  16. kid — to tease
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bank — of a river
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. club — a group
  24. lash — to lash out

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