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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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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: field · snap · pitcher · fan · lie · cabinet · game · lash

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. lie — to recline
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. snap — to click
  12. game — a match
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — farmland
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. field — for sport
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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