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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. land — ground
  7. craft — boats
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cap — of ice
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. land — to come down
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. perch — the fish
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. land — a country
  22. cap — a hat
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. craft — a skill

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