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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. chip — to eat
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bound — tied together
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bound — obliged
  12. perch — the fish
  13. file — a document
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bound — certain
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. file — a tool
  24. wake — a trail

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