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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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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 · mark · stick · rest · wave · lash · lie · root

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. root — of a word
  14. rest — a break
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lie — to recline
  21. root — the cause
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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