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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 120 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. rock — a stone
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. hand — in cards
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rock — music
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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