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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: tear · snap · pass · safe · lash · game · rock · capital

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. game — wild animals
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pass — a permit
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rock — a stone
  16. snap — to click
  17. game — a match
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — money
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pass — to spend time

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