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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. cell — a phone
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. cue — for pool
  6. roll — a list
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. roll — a cake
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cell — in biology
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. cue — a hint
  15. row — to paddle
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wound — an injury
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. wound — an injury
  22. row — a line
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cue — a signal

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