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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wound — an injury
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. shower — rain
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pop — music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pop — to visit
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. pop — soda
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. snap — to click

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