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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. season — of the year
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pop — to visit
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pop — music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bat — the animal
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. pop — soda
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. season — in sport
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. perch — the fish
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. season — to add flavour

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