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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · cue · lash · dip · bulb · kid · perch · saw

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. cue — a signal
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. kid — to tease
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. kid — child
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bulb — for light
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. dip — to sink
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. saw — the tool
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. cue — for pool
  22. fine — all right
  23. bulb — for light
  24. saw — the tool

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