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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 120 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: file · perch · firm · wound · club · lash · bay · dip

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. firm — a company
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a tool
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. club — a group
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. firm — steady
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. firm — decided
  24. dip — to sink

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