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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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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 · wave · chest · lash · wind · nail · drill · leaves

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. snap — to click
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. drill — army training
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. chest — a box
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. drill — a practice
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. chest — of your body
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. chest — of your body
  19. drill — the tool
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — to go away

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