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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rash — a series
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. key — in music
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rash — hasty
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. key — the most important part
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. snap — to click
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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