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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.

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: lash · snap · ground · pitcher · craft · march · perch · can

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. craft — boats
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. craft — a skill
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. snap — to click
  16. ground — crushed
  17. perch — the fish
  18. can — a tin
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. can — a tin
  24. ground — the earth

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