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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. swing — music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pop — to visit
  6. spell — magic
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. spell — a short time
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pop — music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. swing — to play on
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stand — to bear
  21. board — a committee
  22. spell — letters
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pop — soda

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