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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. clip — for paper
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mark — a trace
  9. squash — the sport
  10. object — an aim
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bound — tied together
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. clip — a video
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bound — certain
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mark — a grade
  22. object — to protest
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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