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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.

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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: perch · bat · swing · fan · leaves · stand · dip · bass

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. stand — to bear
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bass — low music
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. swing — music
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bat — the animal
  20. swing — in golf
  21. dip — to sink
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. fan — to cool the air

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