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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: toast · roll · fan · lash · perch · sharp · racket · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. land — ground
  4. perch — the fish
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. sharp — clever
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. toast — bread
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. land — a country
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — a list

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