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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 120 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bear — the animal
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bass — low music
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. chip — for betting
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. lean — thin
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. snap — to click
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. fall — the season
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chip — to eat
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bass — the fish
  24. fall — to drop

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