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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. chest — of your body
  8. object — an aim
  9. mug — a face
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. perch — the fish
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — to protest
  22. chest — a box
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bowl — a football final

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