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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. race — the arms race
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. race — a contest
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. root — of a word
  9. race — humankind
  10. mate — to breed
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. bark — to shout
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rush — hurry
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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