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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bound — tied together
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — size or range
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bulb — for light
  12. craft — a skill
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. net — for catching
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. net — after costs
  20. craft — boats
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. scale — in music
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. net — in sport

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