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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
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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: shower · lash · bank · toast · rush · spell · content · perch

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. spell — a short time
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. spell — magic
  6. rush — hurry
  7. content — the amount
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. toast — bread
  11. spell — letters
  12. perch — the fish
  13. shower — rain
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bank — for money
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bank — for money
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. shower — to wash
  21. content — happy
  22. bank — of a river
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. perch — for a bird

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