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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.

Make a worksheet

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: perch · pitcher · bear · lash · last · can · mine · ruler

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mine — for digging
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. last — to go on
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bear — the animal
  20. last — finally
  21. can — a tin
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. perch — the fish
  24. can — a tin

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