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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pound — a weight
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. date — the fruit
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. kid — child
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bass — the fish
  21. snap — to click
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bass — low music

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