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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. object — a thing
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pitch — completely
  7. object — to protest
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. current — electric
  14. bound — tied together
  15. perch — the fish
  16. fall — the season
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. fall — to drop
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bound — certain
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. object — an aim

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