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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. suit — in cards
  4. fall — the season
  5. face — part of the head
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mark — a grade
  8. clip — a video
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. suit — clothes
  11. clip — for paper
  12. fall — to drop
  13. face — to confront
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. clip — to cut
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. suit — to fit
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fall — to drop
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rush — to hurry
  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