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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pass — a permit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. row — to paddle
  5. tear — from crying
  6. hand — in cards
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. hand — help
  11. perch — the fish
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. tear — to rip
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. row — a line
  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