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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: present · trunk · mouse · bat · can · lash · snap · wake

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. present — there
  5. can — a tin
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. present — a gift
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. can — to be able to
  10. present — the time now
  11. can — a tin
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bat — the animal
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wake — a trail
  22. snap — to click
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. wake — before a funeral

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