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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 116 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. club — a group
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. club — for golf
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. lean — to bend
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. snap — to click
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pass — a permit
  24. lean — thin

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