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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 · file · hand · season · lash · bass · tear · mug

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bass — low music
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. mug — a face
  6. tear — to rip
  7. season — of the year
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bass — the fish
  10. mug — a cup
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. hand — in cards
  15. file — a tool
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. tear — from crying
  18. file — a document
  19. season — in sport
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. mug — to rob
  24. hand — help

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