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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. perch — the fish
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. swing — music
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. row — a line
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. row — to paddle
  14. drill — army training
  15. swing — in golf
  16. drill — the tool
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stand — to bear
  20. swing — to play on
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. kick — in football
  23. drill — a practice
  24. wake — a trail

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