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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.

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: dip · fan · lash · shower · court · arm · snap · spell

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. shower — rain
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. court — for sport
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. dip — to sink
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. spell — a short time
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. shower — to wash
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. court — of a king
  17. snap — to click
  18. court — of law
  19. spell — magic
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. spell — letters

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