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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: file · perch · content · bound · squash · pitcher · lash · land

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. file — a tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. land — a country
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bound — obliged
  8. squash — the sport
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. file — a line of people
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. land — ground
  17. file — a document
  18. land — to come down
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. content — the amount
  22. squash — to crush
  23. content — happy
  24. perch — the fish

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