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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. staff — a stick
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. staff — employees
  7. suit — clothes
  8. staff — employees
  9. cap — a lid
  10. club — a group
  11. last — final
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cap — a hat
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cap — of ice
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. last — to go on
  18. club — for dancing
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. suit — to fit
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. snap — to click
  23. last — finally
  24. club — for golf

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