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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 120 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rest — what's left
  6. degree — an amount
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. degree — temperature
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rest — a break
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. degree — from a university
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. cell — a phone

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