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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 120 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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cap — a lid
  4. current — of water
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mate — to breed
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. land — ground
  12. current — electric
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. current — happening now
  15. hand — in cards
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mate — a partner
  20. hand — help
  21. cap — of ice
  22. deal — to handle
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. perch — the fish

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