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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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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 · racket · rash · wave · stand · lash · arm · pop

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rash — a series
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. rash — hasty
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pop — to visit
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. stand — on your feet

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