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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 124 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. clip — for paper
  5. lean — thin
  6. craft — a skill
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mark — a grade
  10. perch — the fish
  11. clip — a video
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rest — a break
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. clip — to cut
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rest — what's left

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