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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rock — music
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. perch — the fish
  7. season — of the year
  8. swing — in golf
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. season — in sport
  11. swing — music
  12. current — happening now
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bank — for money
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. current — of water
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. current — electric
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bank — for money
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — a stone

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