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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cap — a lid
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mate — to breed
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. hand — in cards
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rule — a law
  20. mate — a friend
  21. face — to confront
  22. hand — help
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rule — government

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