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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. clip — to cut
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cue — for pool
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. staff — employees
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — a video
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pitch — completely
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. cue — a hint
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rush — hurry
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. perch — the fish
  22. staff — employees
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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