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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. spell — a short time
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. root — the cause
  6. board — to get on
  7. spell — letters
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. cue — for pool
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. board — a committee
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cue — a hint
  18. spell — magic
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cue — a signal
  22. root — of a plant
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. root — of a word

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