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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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Word bank
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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. tube — a container
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. spell — letters
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. mouse — the animal

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