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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. object — a thing
  3. last — finally
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. swing — music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. last — to go on
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. drill — a practice
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. last — final
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. perch — the fish
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wake — a trail
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. swing — in golf

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