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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pound — a weight
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mark — a grade
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. snap — to click
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. hide — animal skin

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