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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. snap — to click
  3. mug — a face
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. court — for sport
  11. mug — to rob
  12. court — of law
  13. plane — a tool
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. shower — rain
  18. court — of a king
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stand — to bear
  23. mug — a cup
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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