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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 · coach · wake · swing · suit · band · leaves · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wake — a trail
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. swing — to play on
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. swing — in golf
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rest — what's left
  12. perch — the fish
  13. band — a music group
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. suit — in cards
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. suit — clothes
  18. swing — music
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. band — a ring
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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