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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. snap — to click
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. fork — in a road
  9. dip — to sink
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. fork — a garden tool

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