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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. charge — a price
  5. drill — a practice
  6. charge — in control
  7. court — of law
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rock — a stone
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rock — music
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. court — of a king
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. hand — help
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. court — for sport
  24. hand — in cards

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