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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. clip — to cut
  4. charge — electricity
  5. roll — a cake
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. rest — a break
  8. clip — for paper
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. perch — the fish
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. clip — a video
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. charge — a price
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. roll — a list
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rest — what's left
  23. charge — in control
  24. lash — to lash out

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