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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.

Make a worksheet

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: last · track · tube · date · perch · leaves · swing · toast

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. tube — a container
  3. perch — the fish
  4. date — the fruit
  5. swing — in golf
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. track — a path
  10. toast — bread
  11. track — to keep track
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. swing — to play on
  15. last — to go on
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. swing — music
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. last — finally
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. last — final
  24. track — a song

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