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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. dip — to sink
  3. suit — to fit
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. suit — clothes
  8. face — to point toward
  9. kid — child
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. perch — the fish
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. face — part of the head
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. suit — in cards
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. kid — to tease
  20. plane — a tool
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. face — to confront
  24. dip — a sauce

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