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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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lean — thin
  5. bound — tied together
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pop — music
  8. squash — to crush
  9. lean — to bend
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pop — to visit
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. face — to point toward
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bound — certain
  20. face — to confront
  21. pop — soda
  22. craft — boats
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bound — obliged

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