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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. chip — to eat
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. prune — to trim
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. file — a tool
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mate — a friend
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. file — a document
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. perch — the fish
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mate — to breed
  17. file — a line of people
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mate — a partner
  21. spell — magic
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. spell — letters

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