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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.

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: perch · lash · club · chair · stock · fan · fall · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stock — shares
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. club — for dancing
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. perch — the fish
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mug — to rob
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stock — goods
  14. chair — a leader
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. club — a group
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fall — the season
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. club — for golf
  22. mug — a cup
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fall — to drop

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