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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. snap — to click
  5. swing — in golf
  6. charge — a price
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. charge — in control
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cap — a lid
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. swing — music
  15. charge — electricity
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cap — of ice
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cap — a hat
  22. swing — to play on
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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