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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: perch · cap · lash · fan · prune · bay · arm · scale

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. lash — a whip stroke
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. cap — a hat
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cap — a lid
  7. scale — in music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. prune — to trim
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. prune — to trim
  16. scale — size or range
  17. cap — of ice
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. fan — a supporter
  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