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

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wake — a trail
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bark — to shout
  8. current — electric
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. swing — to play on
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. swing — in golf
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. current — happening now
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. current — of water
  22. stand — to bear
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. snap — to click

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