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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lean — to bend
  13. fall — to drop
  14. clip — a video
  15. lean — thin
  16. fall — to drop
  17. clip — to cut
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fall — the season
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. clip — for paper
  24. perch — the fish

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