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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: wind · lash · rash · snap · pop · bear · board · rush

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bear — the animal
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a committee
  8. rash — a series
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pop — soda
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. rash — hasty
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pop — music
  18. snap — to click
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. wind — moving air
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pop — to visit
  24. wind — to turn a key

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