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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. dip — to sink
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. chest — a box
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. chest — of your body
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. date — the fruit
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chest — of your body
  24. dip — to dunk

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