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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bulb — for light
  7. board — to get on
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bank — for money
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pound — a weight
  13. board — a committee
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chest — a box
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bound — certain
  20. chest — of your body
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bank — for money

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