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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. root — of a plant
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. lie — to recline
  7. perch — the fish
  8. root — the cause
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. root — of a word
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pop — music
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pop — to visit

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