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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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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: snap · bay · squash · plane · lash · game · prune · can

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. prune — to trim
  5. can — a tin
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. game — a match
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. can — to be able to
  14. plane — a tool
  15. squash — to crush
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. squash — the sport
  21. snap — to click
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. prune — to trim
  24. can — a tin

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