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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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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 · leaves · lash · cue · last · arm · squash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. last — to go on
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. last — final
  6. cue — for pool
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. cue — a signal
  10. squash — the sport
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. snap — to click
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. last — finally
  23. cue — a hint
  24. squash — to crush

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