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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 120 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: ground · nail · row · pass · lash · perch · rash · bat

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. perch — the fish
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bat — the animal
  12. rash — a series
  13. row — to paddle
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pass — a permit
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. row — a line
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ground — crushed
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pass — to spend time

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