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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 116 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 · spell · cabinet · squash · wave · perch · deal · bark

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. spell — magic
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bark — to shout
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. perch — the fish
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. spell — a short time
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. deal — to handle
  16. squash — the sport
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. squash — to crush
  20. spell — letters
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bark — of a tree

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