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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mate — a friend
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. snap — to click
  6. rest — a break
  7. bass — low music
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mate — a partner
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rest — what's left
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bass — the fish
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mate — to breed
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  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