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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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 — a straw man
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. can — a tin
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. can — to be able to
  7. stem — to come from
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. can — a tin
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bass — low music
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bass — the fish
  23. perch — the fish
  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