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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. row — a line
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. club — for golf
  5. mate — to breed
  6. charge — in control
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. club — a group
  9. row — to paddle
  10. charge — electricity
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. snap — to click
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. mate — a partner
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mate — a friend
  17. swing — to play on
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — music
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. club — for dancing
  24. charge — a price

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