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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: toast · hand · snap · lash · pitch · fan · wave · squash

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. squash — to crush
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. toast — bread
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. snap — to click
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pitch — completely
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. hand — help
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. squash — the vegetable

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