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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. squash — the sport
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pit — in a race
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. net — in sport
  13. pit — a hole
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lie — to recline
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — after costs
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. coach — a trainer

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