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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. perch — the fish
  4. scale — size or range
  5. march — music
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — of water
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. deal — to handle
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. fall — to drop
  17. spring — the season
  18. scale — in music
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. march — the month
  21. fall — the season
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. march — the month
  24. fall — to drop

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