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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lash · sharp · chest · club · foot · pop · perch · ball

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. ball — a great time
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. club — for dancing
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. chest — of your body
  8. club — for golf
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. pop — music
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. sharp — clever
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. club — a group
  20. foot — a measure
  21. chest — a box
  22. pop — to visit
  23. chest — of your body
  24. ball — a dance

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