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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.

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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: fan · race · perch · spell · lash · pound · firm · pit

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. firm — steady
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. perch — the fish
  9. race — the arms race
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. race — a contest
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. race — humankind
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. firm — decided
  21. spell — magic
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pound — a weight
  24. firm — a company

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