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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.

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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. rock — music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stem — to come from
  5. deal — to handle
  6. snap — to click
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. perch — the fish
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. swing — music
  19. foot — a measure
  20. swing — in golf
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. deal — an agreement

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