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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. perch — the fish
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. fall — to drop
  8. swing — in golf
  9. club — for dancing
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. branch — a division
  12. swing — to play on
  13. lean — thin
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. fall — the season
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. sharp — clever
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fall — to drop
  22. swing — music
  23. club — for golf
  24. rush — hurry

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