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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pass — a permit
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. staff — employees
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tube — a container
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mate — to breed
  18. staff — employees
  19. tube — the underground
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. staff — a stick
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pass — to succeed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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