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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wound — an injury
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. face — to point toward
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. face — part of the head
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. face — to confront
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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