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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. hand — help
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wound — an injury
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to click
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — to drill
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. fan — a supporter

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