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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 116 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pit — a hole
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pop — music
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pop — to visit
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. perch — the fish
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pop — soda
  24. snap — to click

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