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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: lash · perch · saw · kid · file · can · fan · content

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. perch — the fish
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. file — a line of people
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. content — happy
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. can — a tin
  13. kid — child
  14. file — a document
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. content — the amount
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. saw — the tool
  19. can — a tin
  20. file — a tool
  21. can — to be able to
  22. kid — to tease
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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