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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 116 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: craft · lash · wound · wax · snap · rule · rush · pitch

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wound — an injury
  4. craft — boats
  5. rule — a law
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rule — government
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — completely
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. snap — to click
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. wax — to grow

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