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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 116 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bear — the animal
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. hand — help
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. spell — magic
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. race — humankind
  13. spell — a short time
  14. race — the arms race
  15. hand — in cards
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. race — a contest
  19. mug — a face
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spell — letters
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bear — the animal

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