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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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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: roll · lash · perch · calf · racket · branch · game · wave

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. roll — a list
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. branch — a division
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. game — wild animals
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. game — a match
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. perch — the fish
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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