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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. spell — a short time
  10. lie — to recline
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. spell — magic
  13. stock — shares
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stock — goods
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. spell — letters
  23. perch — the fish
  24. lie — an untruth

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