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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: arm · charge · clip · drill · lash · perch · cap · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cap — a hat
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. drill — army training
  6. charge — a price
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. net — in sport
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. perch — the fish
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — to cut
  15. drill — the tool
  16. charge — in control
  17. cap — a lid
  18. net — for catching
  19. drill — a practice
  20. charge — electricity
  21. cap — of ice
  22. clip — for paper
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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