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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: bore · perch · lash · can · stock · wound · cap · scale

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stock — shares
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bore — to tire
  7. cap — a hat
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cap — a lid
  11. wound — an injury
  12. perch — the fish
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. scale — in music
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stock — goods
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cap — of ice
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. can — a tin
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. can — a tin

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