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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mark — a grade
  7. snap — to click
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pitch — completely
  10. ground — a position
  11. mark — a trace
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. ground — the earth
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. ground — crushed
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rash — a series
  19. vault — a safe
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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