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

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. swing — music
  3. cue — a signal
  4. perch — the fish
  5. fall — to drop
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spell — a short time
  12. fall — the season
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. swing — in golf
  15. cue — a hint
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bear — the animal
  19. swing — to play on
  20. spell — letters
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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