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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. key — for a lock
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wind — moving air
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. key — in music
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cap — a lid
  11. present — there
  12. snap — to click
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. present — a gift
  15. cap — a hat
  16. present — the time now
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wind — moving air
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cap — of ice
  21. pound — a weight
  22. key — the most important part
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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