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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 116 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. perch — the fish
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rash — hasty
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. degree — an amount
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. degree — from a university
  18. rash — a series
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. degree — temperature
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. safe — a strongbox

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