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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: lash · perch · calf · pitcher · fine · race · jam · branch

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. perch — the fish
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fine — all right
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. race — a contest
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  24. fine — high quality

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