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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. last — final
  4. perch — the fish
  5. last — finally
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rest — a break
  11. firm — a company
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. last — to go on
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. firm — steady
  20. foot — a measure
  21. prune — to trim
  22. dip — to sink
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rest — what's left

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