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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bark — to shout
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. suit — in cards
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wound — an injury
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. clip — a video
  20. pitch — completely
  21. suit — to fit
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. clip — for paper
  24. patient — a sick person

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