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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. track — to keep track
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. track — a path
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. wake — a trail
  15. face — to confront
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pop — to visit
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. face — to point toward
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. track — a song
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — music

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