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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rest — a break
  5. net — for catching
  6. lean — thin
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. suit — in cards
  9. rest — what's left
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pop — music
  12. lean — to bend
  13. court — of a king
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pop — soda
  16. net — in sport
  17. rest — what's left
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pop — to visit
  20. court — for sport
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. suit — clothes
  23. court — of law
  24. net — after costs

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