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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lash · mug · ball · snap · bear · bore · band · leaves

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bore — to tire
  7. ball — a great time
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. band — a ring
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. band — a music group
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mug — to rob
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. ball — a dance

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