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

Word bank: mate · lash · foot · stick · perch · ball · race · row

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. race — the arms race
  3. row — to paddle
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mate — a partner
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. mate — to breed
  12. foot — a measure
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. race — a contest
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. race — humankind
  17. perch — the fish
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mate — a friend
  21. row — a line
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. perch — for a bird

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