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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
468
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: perch · season · roll · rash · rock · hand · lie · squash

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. season — of the year
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. rock — a stone
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rash — a series
  12. roll — a list
  13. season — in sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. roll — a cake
  17. squash — the sport
  18. hand — in cards
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hand — help
  21. rash — hasty
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rock — music

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