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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 120 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. lean — to bend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. court — of law
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mate — a friend
  11. craft — boats
  12. court — for sport
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. mate — a partner
  15. last — finally
  16. lean — thin
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. last — final
  19. court — of a king
  20. rush — hurry
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. perch — the fish
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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