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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: cabinet · squash · lash · rush · degree · perch · lean · rock

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lean — thin
  4. degree — an amount
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rush — hurry
  15. degree — from a university
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. degree — temperature
  22. perch — the fish
  23. lean — to rest against
  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