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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. shower — to wash
  5. perch — the fish
  6. face — part of the head
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. key — the most important part
  9. face — to confront
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. shower — rain
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. key — for a lock
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. net — in sport
  19. key — in music
  20. net — after costs
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. net — for catching
  23. face — to point toward
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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