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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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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: wake · snap · swing · mug · mark · lash · hand · shower

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mug — a cup
  3. swing — to play on
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mug — to rob
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mug — a face
  8. swing — in golf
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. swing — music
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. mark — a grade
  15. hand — help
  16. snap — to click
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mark — a trace
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. shower — to wash

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