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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. chest — of your body
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bank — for money
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. chip — to eat
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rock — music
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cue — a hint
  12. face — to confront
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bank — of a river
  15. chip — for betting
  16. cue — a signal
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rock — a stone
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bank — for money
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. face — to point toward
  23. snap — to click
  24. chest — a box

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