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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.

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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: bowl · perch · deal · wave · lash · squash · straw · tube

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. tube — a container
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. perch — the fish
  8. deal — to handle
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. squash — the sport
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. tube — the underground
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bowl — a football final

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