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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 116 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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. plane — a tool
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. current — of water
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. current — happening now
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cold — an illness
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. perch — the fish
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. cold — not warm
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. current — electric
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. snap — to click
  24. racket — for tennis

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