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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: dip · toast · bass · perch · roll · clip · hide · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — to cut
  4. dip — to sink
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. clip — a video
  10. perch — the fish
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. roll — a list
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — low music
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. roll — a cake
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. toast — bread
  24. roll — on a roll

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