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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 120 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cap — of ice
  3. foot — a measure
  4. cap — a lid
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. scale — in music
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pass — a permit
  17. scale — size or range
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. snap — to click

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