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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. fall — the season
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. root — of a plant
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. track — to keep track
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spell — letters
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. spell — magic
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. root — of a word
  17. bass — low music
  18. track — a path
  19. root — the cause
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fall — to drop
  23. track — a song
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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