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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. branch — a division
  9. object — an aim
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wake — a trail
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bass — low music
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bass — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. object — a thing
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. object — to protest

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