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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cap — of ice
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. cap — a hat
  8. kick — in football
  9. clip — for paper
  10. track — a path
  11. fall — the season
  12. clip — to cut
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. swing — in golf
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fall — to drop
  19. perch — the fish
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. clip — a video
  22. swing — to play on
  23. cap — a lid
  24. safe — a strongbox

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