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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. charge — in control
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. charge — a price
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bear — the animal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rock — music
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. date — the fruit
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. charge — electricity
  24. lash — to lash out

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