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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 116 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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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: prune · snap · lash · mouse · kick · key · deal · shower

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. prune — to trim
  9. key — the most important part
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. key — in music
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. key — for a lock
  21. shower — rain
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. shower — to wash

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