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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: lash · court · cabinet · stick · ruler · sharp · dip · snap

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. snap — to click
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. court — for sport
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. dip — to sink
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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