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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. rash — a series
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. perch — the fish
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mine — for digging
  17. key — in music
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. key — the most important part
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rash — hasty
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. deal — a big deal

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