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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 120 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: season · rest · racket · pound · kid · perch · wave · lash

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. season — in sport
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. kid — child
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. kid — to tease
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. rest — a break
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pound — a weight
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. perch — the fish

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