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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. spell — letters
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. perch — the fish
  6. key — for a lock
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. root — of a word
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. last — finally
  14. spell — a short time
  15. key — the most important part
  16. snap — to click
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. key — in music
  20. last — to go on
  21. spell — magic
  22. last — final
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

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