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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. swing — in golf
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. hand — in cards
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. track — to keep track
  13. lie — to recline
  14. swing — music
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. swing — to play on
  17. snap — to click
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. chair — a leader
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. hand — help

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