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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. file — a document
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. file — a tool
  7. rock — music
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bear — the animal
  10. suit — in cards
  11. snap — to click
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bear — the animal
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rock — a stone
  19. suit — clothes
  20. field — for sport
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. sharp — clever
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — farmland

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