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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. can — to be able to
  4. hand — help
  5. can — a tin
  6. fine — high quality
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rock — music
  12. can — a tin
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rock — a stone
  15. fine — all right
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. perch — the fish
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hand — in cards
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. ruler — a monarch

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