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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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468
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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. current — happening now
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rash — a series
  7. bear — the animal
  8. current — electric
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mine — for digging
  13. current — of water
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. chair — a leader
  17. rock — music
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rock — a stone
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. perch — the fish
  24. chair — to sit on

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