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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. cue — a hint
  3. sharp — clever
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. net — for catching
  7. cue — a signal
  8. mate — to breed
  9. net — after costs
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. mate — a friend
  12. rush — hurry
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. net — in sport
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mate — a partner
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lean — thin
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. lean — to bend
  24. cue — for pool

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