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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.

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 · lean · last · bass · dip · game · cold · bear

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. lean — to bend
  4. last — finally
  5. bass — low music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. last — final
  9. bass — the fish
  10. perch — the fish
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. lean — thin
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cold — not warm
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. game — a match
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. last — to go on

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