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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: snap · deal · pit · hide · lash · track · leaves · tear

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pit — a hole
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. tear — from crying
  14. track — a path
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. track — to keep track
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. track — a song
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pit — in a race
  24. deal — to handle

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