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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cap — a lid
  6. perch — the fish
  7. dip — to sink
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cap — a hat
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cap — of ice
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring

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