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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. perch — the fish
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. tear — to rip
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. present — the time now
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. board — to get on
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. present — there
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. present — a gift
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. tear — from crying
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. board — a committee
  24. arm — part of the body

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