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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. clip — to cut
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. perch — the fish
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. clip — for paper
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. kick — in football
  15. foot — a measure
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. clip — a video
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. lie — to recline
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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