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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: perch · rash · last · bowl · swing · stick · lash · wake

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. swing — in golf
  8. last — final
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rash — hasty
  15. perch — the fish
  16. last — finally
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. last — to go on
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rash — a series
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. swing — music

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