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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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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: snap · staff · mark · shower · kick · perch · rush · lash

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. staff — employees
  7. kick — in football
  8. mark — a grade
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. shower — rain
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. perch — the fish
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. shower — to wash
  24. mark — a trace

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