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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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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: lash · perch · file · march · spring · current · nail · board

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. march — the month
  4. current — happening now
  5. spring — of water
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. file — a line of people
  8. spring — a coil
  9. current — electric
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. file — a tool
  12. board — a committee
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. march — music
  17. current — of water
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. file — a document
  20. spring — the season
  21. board — to get on
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. march — the month

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