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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: fan · perch · track · squash · present · hide · hand · lash

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. squash — the sport
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. track — a song
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. squash — to crush
  10. track — to keep track
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. present — there
  17. hand — in cards
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. present — a gift
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. present — the time now
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. track — a path

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