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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. staff — employees
  3. tear — from crying
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. plane — a tool
  6. staff — a stick
  7. swing — in golf
  8. perch — the fish
  9. tear — to rip
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. swing — to play on
  12. staff — employees
  13. key — the most important part
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. chip — to eat
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. key — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. swing — music
  23. chip — for betting
  24. lash — an eyelash

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