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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. fall — the season
  4. spell — letters
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. track — to keep track
  7. lie — to recline
  8. track — a path
  9. fall — to drop
  10. spell — magic
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. perch — the fish
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. track — a song

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