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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: bass · straw · lash · foot · perch · toast · bulb · mark

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. toast — bread
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bass — low music
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bass — the fish
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bulb — for light

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