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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. kick — in football
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. wind — moving air
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. roll — a cake
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — in golf
  21. roll — a list
  22. wind — moving air
  23. swing — music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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