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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: row · perch · present · degree · lash · bat · stick · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. degree — temperature
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. degree — an amount
  7. row — to paddle
  8. present — a gift
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. craft — a skill
  12. degree — from a university
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. craft — boats
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. present — there
  18. perch — the fish
  19. present — the time now
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. row — a line
  23. bat — the animal
  24. lash — to lash out

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