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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. season — of the year
  3. file — a tool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. board — a committee
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. ball — a dance
  9. perch — the fish
  10. wake — a trail
  11. file — a line of people
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. season — in sport
  20. ball — a great time
  21. board — to get on
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. file — a document
  24. perch — for a bird

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