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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 120 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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. key — in music
  11. dip — to sink
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cold — not warm
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bass — low music
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bass — the fish

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