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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: perch · mug · lash · band · hand · wake · cell · deal

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. mug — a cup
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. perch — the fish
  6. mug — to rob
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. mug — a face
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. band — a ring
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cell — a phone
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. band — a music group
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. band — a rubber band

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