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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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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: lash · kick · hand · drill · snap · safe · bear · wave

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hand — help
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. drill — the tool
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kick — in football
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to click
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. hand — in cards
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. drill — a practice
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. drill — army training
  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