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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 120 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: perch · staff · cap · wake · coach · bulb · bass · chest

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cap — a lid
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. staff — employees
  13. chest — a box
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bulb — for light
  16. staff — a stick
  17. cap — a hat
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. perch — the fish
  21. staff — employees
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bass — low music
  24. chest — of your body

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