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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lash · clip · chest · perch · rock · game · mug · shower

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mug — a face
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. shower — to wash
  5. rock — a stone
  6. game — a match
  7. shower — rain
  8. clip — to cut
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. clip — for paper
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. game — wild animals
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. chest — a box
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mug — to rob
  22. clip — a video
  23. chest — of your body
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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