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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: lash · rash · perch · ground · field · wave · fall · calf

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ground — a position
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ground — crushed
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. rash — a series
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rash — hasty
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. fall — the season
  17. ground — the earth
  18. field — a subject
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. perch — the fish
  24. calf — a young animal

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