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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. board — a committee
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. drill — a practice
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. drill — the tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. perch — the fish
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. drill — army training
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rash — a series
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. rash — hasty
  21. lean — thin
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. board — to get on
  24. lean — to bend

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