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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. squash — to crush
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. cue — a signal
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cue — for pool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rule — government
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. snap — to click
  17. rule — a law
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. cue — a hint
  23. squash — the sport
  24. rule — to rule out

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