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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. kid — child
  5. tube — a container
  6. face — part of the head
  7. lean — to bend
  8. key — in music
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rash — a series
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. key — for a lock
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. lean — thin
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. kid — to tease
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. face — to confront

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