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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. hand — help
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. key — in music
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stem — to come from
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. key — the most important part
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. hand — in cards
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. straw — dry grass

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