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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — army training
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bat — the animal
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. lean — to bend
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lean — thin
  17. toast — bread
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. saw — the tool
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. fine — high quality
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fine — all right

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