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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. scale — size or range
  8. present — a gift
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. present — there
  11. bulb — for light
  12. season — of the year
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. scale — in music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. present — the time now
  19. land — a country
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. land — ground
  23. land — to come down
  24. season — in sport

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