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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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. dip — to dunk
  2. face — part of the head
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. perch — the fish
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. chip — to eat
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. face — to confront
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. face — to point toward
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. chip — for betting
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bulb — for light
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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