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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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Word bank
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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: pound · row · staff · lash · shower · leaves · snap · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. staff — employees
  6. snap — to click
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. row — to paddle
  12. staff — employees
  13. pound — a weight
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. suit — clothes
  19. staff — a stick
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. row — a line
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. suit — to fit

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