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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.

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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. track — a path
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. perch — the fish
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mark — a grade
  9. track — a song
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mark — a trace
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. track — to keep track
  18. racket — for tennis

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