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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fork · hand · lash · net · perch · dip · spell · arm

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. hand — in cards
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. perch — the fish
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. fork — in a road
  20. spell — letters
  21. dip — to sink
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lash — to lash out

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