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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bat — the animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chest — of your body
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. perch — the fish
  17. chest — a box
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pass — a permit
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pit — a hole
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pit — in a race
  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