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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rock — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. rock — a stone
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. field — for sport
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pop — to visit
  13. perch — the fish
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. field — farmland
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. ground — a position
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pop — music
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. field — a subject
  23. ground — crushed
  24. perch — for a bird

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