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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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. jam — in traffic
  3. kid — child
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bat — the animal
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. kid — to tease
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. snap — to click
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bat — for baseball

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