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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.

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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 · lash · degree · arm · swing · perch · pit · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. degree — temperature
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. swing — in golf
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bark — to shout
  18. pit — a hole
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — an amount
  21. pit — in a race
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. swing — music
  24. arm — part of the body

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