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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: hand · ball · lie · lash · prune · bowl · perch · straw

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. hand — in cards
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. hand — help

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