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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. charge — a price
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. charge — electricity
  10. spell — letters
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. spell — a short time
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. charge — in control
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. perch — the fish
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. shower — to wash
  24. spell — magic

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