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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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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: stick · bound · arm · bass · wake · lash · rest · perch

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rest — what's left
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bound — tied together
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bass — the fish
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bass — low music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rest — a break
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — obliged

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