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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. foot — a measure
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. cue — a signal
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rash — a series
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rash — hasty
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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