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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. chest — of your body
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. perch — the fish
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. toast — bread
  9. track — a path
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. track — to keep track
  14. swing — music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wake — a trail
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. track — a song
  21. swing — in golf
  22. chest — a box
  23. swing — to play on
  24. chest — of your body

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