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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. perch — the fish
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stock — shares
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. club — for golf
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. club — a group
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. club — for dancing
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stock — goods
  24. arm — a part of something

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