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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. scale — in music
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. scale — size or range
  12. net — after costs
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — a safe
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lean — thin
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. snap — to click
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. hide — to keep secret

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