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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: squash · row · perch · capital · band · lash · last · tube

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. capital — a city
  4. band — a ring
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. last — to go on
  8. row — to paddle
  9. band — a music group
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. last — final
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. last — finally
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. row — a line
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. tube — a container
  20. squash — to crush
  21. tube — the underground
  22. squash — the sport
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. lash — to lash out

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