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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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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. kick — in football
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cold — not warm
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rash — hasty
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wound — an injury
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wound — an injury
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cold — an illness
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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