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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 120 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 · last · stand · row · pitcher · lash · trunk · racket

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. snap — to click
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. row — to paddle
  15. last — finally
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. row — a line
  18. stand — to bear
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. last — final
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pitcher — a jug

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