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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: present · chest · lash · firm · perch · bulb · content · march

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. present — the time now
  3. chest — of your body
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. content — the amount
  6. present — there
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bulb — for light
  9. perch — the fish
  10. chest — a box
  11. march — the month
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. chest — of your body
  15. march — music
  16. firm — decided
  17. present — a gift
  18. march — the month
  19. bulb — for light
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. content — happy
  24. bulb — of a plant

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