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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. mug — a face
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. kick — in football
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mug — a cup
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wake — a trail
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. perch — the fish
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. suit — to fit
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mug — to rob

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