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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: lean · degree · lash · perch · rock · drill · racket · cap

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. drill — army training
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. degree — an amount
  7. rock — music
  8. degree — from a university
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. drill — the tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cap — of ice
  18. lean — thin
  19. cap — a lid
  20. perch — the fish
  21. lean — to bend
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rock — a stone
  24. drill — a practice

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