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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. dip — to sink
  3. spell — a short time
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. spell — magic
  10. perch — the fish
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pitch — completely
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. spell — letters
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. sharp — with an edge

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