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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.

Make a worksheet

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: race · prune · bass · perch · bulb · wake · fan · calf

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. race — humankind
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bass — the fish
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bulb — for light
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bass — low music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. calf — of the leg

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