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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 · row · fall · lash · temple · shower · deal · mouse

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. row — to paddle
  3. fall — the season
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. fall — to drop
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. deal — to handle
  8. snap — to click
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. shower — rain
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. shower — to wash
  24. fall — to drop

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