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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: sharp · snap · squash · stand · stem · lash · shower · bay

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. squash — the sport
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. shower — to wash
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. sharp — clever
  15. shower — rain
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stand — to bear
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. lash — an eyelash

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