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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. suit — in cards
  3. degree — an amount
  4. cap — a lid
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. degree — from a university
  7. cap — a hat
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cap — of ice
  14. suit — to fit
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. suit — clothes
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. foot — a measure
  22. degree — temperature
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lash — to lash out

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