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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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. spell — a short time
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. spell — magic
  6. cap — of ice
  7. object — a thing
  8. lean — thin
  9. snap — to click
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. spell — letters
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lean — to bend
  15. shower — to wash
  16. object — an aim
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cap — a hat
  20. shower — rain
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. object — to protest
  23. cap — a lid
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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