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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bear — the animal
  6. season — of the year
  7. bear — the animal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. season — in sport
  10. bore — to drill
  11. row — to paddle
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. perch — the fish
  14. row — a line
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. kick — in football
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pass — a permit

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