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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.

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: lash · perch · game · bass · fan · root · wave · tube

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. bass — low music
  5. perch — the fish
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. game — a match
  8. root — of a word
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. root — the cause
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. tube — the underground
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — to lash out

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