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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. game — a match
  3. chest — a box
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. drill — a practice
  6. perch — the fish
  7. drill — the tool
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. game — wild animals
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. drill — army training
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. chest — of your body
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. kick — in football
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. chest — of your body

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