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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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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 · kid · band · key · perch · swing · net · foot

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. band — a ring
  3. kid — to tease
  4. perch — the fish
  5. swing — to play on
  6. key — in music
  7. band — a music group
  8. key — for a lock
  9. swing — music
  10. net — for catching
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. kid — child
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. key — the most important part
  16. swing — in golf
  17. foot — a measure
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. net — in sport
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. net — after costs

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