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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. current — electric
  10. squash — to crush
  11. current — happening now
  12. present — a gift
  13. deal — to handle
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. current — of water
  17. squash — the sport
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. saw — the tool
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. perch — the fish
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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