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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lash · spell · snap · shower · date · field · stick · fan

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  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. spell — magic
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. spell — a short time
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. spell — letters
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. field — for sport
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. shower — rain
  15. date — the fruit
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. field — farmland
  22. snap — to click
  23. field — a subject
  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