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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: perch · lash · craft · mark · rash · squash · pit · cell

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rash — a series
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cell — a phone
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mark — a grade
  12. craft — boats
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. squash — to crush

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