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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. perch — the fish
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. band — a music group
  6. rock — music
  7. band — a ring
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. season — of the year
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. rock — a stone

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