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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. dip — to sink
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. tube — a container
  9. perch — the fish
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. tube — the underground
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. shower — rain
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bark — to shout
  21. shower — to wash
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pitch — completely

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