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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. swing — to play on
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. swing — in golf
  7. row — a line
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. foot — a measure
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. swing — music
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. row — to paddle
  21. perch — the fish
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. ground — a position
  24. foot — part of the body

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