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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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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: straw · stand · dip · lash · bass · pitch · perch · wave

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bass — low music
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. stand — to bear
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. straw — a straw man

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