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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. scale — in music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pit — in a race
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pit — a hole
  18. clip — to cut
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. clip — for paper
  22. scale — size or range
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. clip — a video

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