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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 116 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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. perch — the fish
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bank — of a river
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bank — for money
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. deal — to handle
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. swing — music
  16. row — a line
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bank — for money
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. row — to paddle

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