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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 · lash · bound · shower · face · rash · pitcher · track

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. track — to keep track
  10. shower — rain
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bound — certain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. track — a song
  15. snap — to click
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bound — obliged
  19. track — a path
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rash — hasty
  24. face — to confront

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