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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 120 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. swing — in golf
  7. branch — a division
  8. bass — the fish
  9. track — to keep track
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. swing — music
  15. can — a tin
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. swing — to play on
  19. lean — to bend
  20. can — a tin
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bass — low music
  24. can — to be able to

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