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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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. lash — an eyelash
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. foot — a measure
  11. stand — to bear
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. roll — a list
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. snap — to click
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. roll — a cake
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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