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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. spell — letters
  11. rock — a stone
  12. spell — a short time
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rock — music
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. spell — magic
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lash — an eyelash

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