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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. staff — employees
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. staff — a stick
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pass — a permit
  8. can — a tin
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. can — a tin
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. mug — to rob
  17. staff — employees
  18. snap — to click
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. can — to be able to
  22. mug — a face
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pass — to spend time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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