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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: fan · wound · lash · perch · mark · march · roll · charge

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wound — an injury
  9. march — the month
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. roll — a cake
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. march — music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. march — the month
  16. mark — a trace
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. perch — the fish
  22. charge — in control
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. mark — a grade

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