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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fall — to drop
  7. craft — boats
  8. bass — low music
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. can — a tin
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. perch — the fish
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. can — a tin
  23. object — a thing
  24. bass — 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