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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ground — the earth
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. march — the month
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. dip — to sink
  19. ground — crushed
  20. fork — in a road
  21. ground — a position
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. perch — the fish

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