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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.

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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. suit — to fit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. spring — the season
  5. squash — the sport
  6. perch — the fish
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bass — low music
  9. spring — a coil
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. hand — in cards
  12. spring — of water
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. hand — help
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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