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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 · clip · pound · tube · key · season · rash · lash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. perch — the fish
  14. key — the most important part
  15. clip — for paper
  16. season — in sport
  17. pound — a weight
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — a video
  22. key — in music
  23. tube — a container
  24. season — of the year

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