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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 120 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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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: lash · perch · bowl · tear · fan · snap · content · lie

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. content — the amount
  6. perch — the fish
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. snap — to click
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. lie — to recline
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. tear — to rip
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. tear — from crying
  21. content — happy
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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