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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: race · perch · lash · swing · leaves · saw · bulb · pitcher

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. swing — in golf
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bulb — for light
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. race — humankind
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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