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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: lash · hand · swing · file · dip · snap · fall · deal

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. hand — in cards
  3. file — a line of people
  4. dip — to sink
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. swing — to play on
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. file — a tool
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. deal — to handle
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. fall — the season
  14. file — a document
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. hand — help
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. swing — music
  19. fall — to drop
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. fall — to drop
  23. swing — in golf
  24. snap — to click

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