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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: pit · wind · toast · rock · perch · cell · current · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cell — a phone
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. current — happening now
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cell — in biology
  10. rock — a stone
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pit — a hole
  15. current — electric
  16. toast — bread
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. perch — the fish
  20. current — of water
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wind — moving air
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. rock — music

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