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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 116 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: mate · swing · wake · bass · perch · lash · wound · bound

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  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. perch — the fish
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. swing — music
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bound — certain
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wound — an injury
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bass — low music
  23. perch — for a bird
  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