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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fall — the season
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bark — to shout
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. march — the month
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. march — music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. march — the month
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. perch — the fish

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