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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stem — to come from
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. track — to keep track
  10. press — a publisher
  11. track — a song
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. degree — an amount
  17. track — a path
  18. perch — the fish
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. degree — from a university
  23. press — to push
  24. degree — temperature

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