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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 120 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: rest · track · perch · bass · lash · pop · bat · leaves

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bass — low music
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pop — soda
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pop — to visit
  17. track — to keep track
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bass — the fish
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pop — music
  22. perch — the fish
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bat — in an idiom

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