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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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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: lash · wind · capital · perch · kick · club · bulb · mouse

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. kick — in football
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bulb — for light
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. club — a group
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bulb — for light
  17. capital — a city
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. club — for golf
  24. capital — money

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