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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 120 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. perch — the fish
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. band — a music group
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. band — a ring
  24. pit — in a race

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