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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. hand — help
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. tube — a container
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. hand — in cards
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cap — a hat
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. straw — a straw man

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