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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: wave · dip · rest · straw · foot · bass · march · perch

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. perch — the fish
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. march — music
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. rest — a break
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. dip — to sink
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rest — what's left

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