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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: saw · squash · hand · perch · lash · bass · fan · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. squash — the sport
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. squash — to crush
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. perch — the fish
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bass — low music

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