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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: lash · kick · mug · ground · pitcher · snap · date · key

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. key — in music
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. date — the fruit
  7. snap — to click
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mug — a cup
  12. ground — a position
  13. mug — to rob
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mug — a face
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. ground — the earth
  18. kick — in football
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ground — crushed
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. lash — to lash out

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