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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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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: roll · board · scale · temple · snap · perch · lash · march

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. board — a committee
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. march — music
  5. snap — to click
  6. scale — size or range
  7. march — the month
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. roll — a cake
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. board — to get on
  16. scale — in music
  17. perch — the fish
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. march — the month
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a list
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lash — an eyelash

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