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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: coach · perch · trunk · lash · cue · bass · rash · arm

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bass — low music
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cue — a signal
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. rash — a series
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bass — the fish
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rash — hasty
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. perch — the fish

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