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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lean — thin
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. race — humankind
  5. last — finally
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — the arms race
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. lie — to recline
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. perch — the fish
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lean — to bend
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — final

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