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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 · lash · rule · wave · board · hide · kid · staff

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. staff — employees
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. rule — a law
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. kid — to tease
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. kid — child
  15. board — a committee
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. board — to get on
  22. staff — employees
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — government

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