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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stand — to bear
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. current — happening now
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. net — after costs
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cap — a lid
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. temple — side of the head

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