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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: rest · current · bass · present · perch · wake · cabinet · toast

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. present — a gift
  4. current — electric
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rest — what's left
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bass — low music
  9. present — there
  10. wake — a trail
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. current — of water
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. present — the time now
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. toast — bread
  22. current — happening now
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. perch — for a bird

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