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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.

Make a worksheet

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 will it ________________ you to start?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. suit — in cards
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. spring — a coil
  11. perch — the fish
  12. spring — the season
  13. toast — bread
  14. spring — of water
  15. saw — the tool
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. sharp — clever
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. saw — the tool
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. suit — clothes
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. saw — past of 'see'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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