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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. hand — help
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. perch — the fish
  13. toast — bread
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. date — the fruit
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. date — on the calendar

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