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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mate · mug · snap · hand · dip · hide · lash · rash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mate — a partner
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mug — to rob
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. mug — a cup
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mug — a face
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rash — a series
  16. mate — a friend
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. mate — to breed
  24. hand — help

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