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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 120 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: rock · stand · lash · snap · scale · bat · land · wave

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. land — ground
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bat — the animal
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. scale — in music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. snap — to click
  12. land — to come down
  13. scale — size or range
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rock — music
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. land — a country
  23. stand — to bear
  24. lash — to lash out

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