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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. spell — letters
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. object — to protest
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. spell — a short time
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. object — a thing
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. spell — magic

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