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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · pop · lash · scale · tear · plane · rock · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rock — music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pop — to visit
  7. rock — a stone
  8. perch — the fish
  9. tear — to rip
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pop — soda
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. scale — in music
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pop — music
  22. spell — letters
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. scale — for weighing

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