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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. chest — a box
  4. swing — in golf
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. swing — music
  8. chest — of your body
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. key — the most important part
  11. squash — to crush
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. perch — the fish
  14. swing — to play on
  15. key — for a lock
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. squash — the sport
  20. chest — of your body
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. key — in music

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