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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. lean — thin
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. net — for catching
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. suit — to fit
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. sharp — clever
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. spell — a short time
  15. suit — in cards
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. suit — clothes
  19. spell — letters
  20. net — after costs
  21. spell — magic
  22. snap — to click
  23. chest — of your body
  24. net — in sport

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