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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.

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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: stick · fork · cue · wake · snap · court · lash · ruler

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wake — a trail
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. snap — to click
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. cue — a signal
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — for sport
  22. cue — for pool
  23. court — of law
  24. lash — to lash out

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