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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bear — the animal
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rest — a break
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bear — the animal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. snap — to click
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rest — what's left

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