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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
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: club · object · lean · snap · hide · lash · pitcher · scale

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. object — an aim
  3. lean — thin
  4. club — for dancing
  5. scale — in music
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. club — a group
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. snap — to click
  12. object — to protest
  13. scale — size or range
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. club — for golf
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. object — a thing

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