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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 · face · snap · firm · date · spell · rush · kid

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. firm — steady
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. face — to point toward
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. firm — a company
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. date — the fruit
  11. rush — hurry
  12. snap — to click
  13. spell — letters
  14. face — to confront
  15. firm — decided
  16. face — part of the head
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. spell — a short time
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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