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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: lash · hide · scale · rash · perch · arm · trunk · straw

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. scale — size or range
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rash — hasty
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. scale — in music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. hide — animal skin

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