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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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · perch · saw · lash · track · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. staff — employees
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. track — a path
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. saw — the tool
  12. perch — the fish
  13. saw — the tool
  14. staff — a stick
  15. snap — to click
  16. staff — employees
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track

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