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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rock — music
  4. perch — the fish
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. dip — to sink
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wake — a trail
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. mine — for digging
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. lash — an eyelash

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