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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: fan · wave · net · snap · rush · mug · ball · lash

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. net — in sport
  4. mug — a cup
  5. ball — a great time
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mug — a face
  8. net — for catching
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to click
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. net — after costs
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. ball — a dance
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mug — to rob
  24. ball — a round shape

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