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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: snap · lean · spell · craft · bowl · swing · lash · net

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. swing — in golf
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. snap — to click
  6. craft — boats
  7. spell — a short time
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. swing — music
  10. spell — letters
  11. net — after costs
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. swing — to play on
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. net — in sport
  21. craft — a skill
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. net — for catching
  24. lean — thin

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