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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. object — to protest
  3. season — in sport
  4. face — to point toward
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. object — an aim
  8. bore — to tire
  9. object — a thing
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bore — to drill
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. deal — to handle
  17. season — of the year
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. face — to confront
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. plane — a tool

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