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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: bulb · bat · rest · perch · lie · track · present · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bat — the animal
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. present — the time now
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bulb — for light
  12. track — a path
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. track — to keep track
  15. squash — to crush
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. present — there
  18. perch — the fish
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rest — a break
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. present — a gift
  23. track — a song
  24. bat — for baseball

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