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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 120 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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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. lash — an eyelash
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bank — of a river
  8. degree — from a university
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bank — for money
  12. saw — the tool
  13. scale — in music
  14. mug — a face
  15. perch — the fish
  16. degree — an amount
  17. chest — a box
  18. bank — for money
  19. chest — of your body
  20. degree — temperature
  21. scale — size or range
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mug — to rob
  24. chest — of your body

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