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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. perch — the fish
  3. present — the time now
  4. bat — the animal
  5. track — a path
  6. rash — hasty
  7. track — to keep track
  8. present — a gift
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. track — a song
  14. net — in sport
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. rash — a series
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. present — there
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — after costs
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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