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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. degree — from a university
  6. tear — from crying
  7. season — in sport
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. perch — the fish
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. season — of the year
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. tear — to rip
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. degree — temperature
  19. spell — magic
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tear — from crying
  22. degree — an amount
  23. scale — in music
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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