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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 120 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: bay · row · rash · net · perch · hand

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. perch — the fish
  4. hand — in cards
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. net — after costs
  12. hand — help
  13. net — in sport
  14. row — a line
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. net — for catching
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rash — hasty

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