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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. snap — to click
  3. perch — the fish
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. race — the arms race
  11. plane — a tool
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. race — humankind
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. race — a contest
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stand — to bear
  21. hand — help
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. hand — in cards
  24. lash — an eyelash

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