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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. chip — to eat
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wound — an injury
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. snap — to click
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chip — for betting
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — the tool
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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