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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 120 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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bass — the fish
  3. perch — the fish
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. dip — to sink
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bass — low music
  12. staff — a stick
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stock — shares
  15. scale — size or range
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. staff — employees
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. stock — goods
  23. scale — in music
  24. staff — employees

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