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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: date · shower · lash · lie · content · perch · bowl · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. date — the fruit
  5. spell — a short time
  6. content — happy
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. content — the amount
  13. spell — magic
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. lie — to recline
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. shower — rain
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. perch — the fish
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. shower — to wash

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