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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 · mouse · object · rest · fine · lash · stem · bound

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fine — all right
  3. bound — obliged
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. snap — to click
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fine — high quality
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. object — an aim
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. object — to protest
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rest — a break
  23. object — a thing
  24. fine — a penalty

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