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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: clip · racket · perch · coach · can · spring · lash · kid

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. spring — a coil
  6. perch — the fish
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. clip — a video
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — child
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. can — a tin
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — for paper

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