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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. mark — a grade
  3. swing — to play on
  4. can — a tin
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. swing — music
  7. drill — army training
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. can — a tin
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bear — the animal
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. can — to be able to
  17. kick — in football
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mark — a trace
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bear — the animal
  24. snap — to click

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