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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
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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 · lash · wave · shower · arm · file · bound · squash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. file — a line of people
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bound — obliged
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bound — tied together
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bound — certain
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. squash — to crush
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. arm — part of the 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