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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 120 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fine — high quality
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. shower — rain
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. perch — the fish
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. swing — in golf
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fine — all right
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. swing — music
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. shower — to wash
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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