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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. season — in sport
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. key — the most important part
  9. perch — the fish
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bear — the animal
  15. season — of the year
  16. roll — a list
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pit — a hole
  19. key — for a lock
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pit — in a race
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. key — in music

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