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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rock — a stone
  4. snap — to click
  5. field — farmland
  6. craft — a skill
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. craft — boats
  10. bat — the animal
  11. swing — to play on
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. field — for sport
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. field — a subject
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rock — music
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. swing — music

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