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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. toast — bread
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. chip — to eat
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bark — to shout
  23. chip — for betting
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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