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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. rule — a law
  7. staff — a stick
  8. key — for a lock
  9. staff — employees
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. snap — to click
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. board — to get on
  14. wind — moving air
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. board — a committee
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. perch — the fish
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. staff — employees

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