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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 · stand · net · sharp · content · fan · lash · shower

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. content — the amount
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. shower — rain
  16. perch — the fish
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. shower — to wash
  20. stand — to bear
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. content — happy
  24. net — after costs

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