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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. staff — employees
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fall — to drop
  19. staff — a stick
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. perch — the fish
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. staff — employees

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