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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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Word bank
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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. charge — a price
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bass — low music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — in control
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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