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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: perch · rest · lash · pop · chest · firm · lean · spell

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. firm — steady
  5. lean — to bend
  6. firm — decided
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. firm — a company
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. spell — letters
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pop — to visit
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pop — music
  18. lean — thin
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. chest — a box
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rest — a break
  23. pop — soda
  24. chest — of your body

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