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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. land — ground
  3. present — the time now
  4. can — to be able to
  5. swing — music
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. can — a tin
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. rush — hurry
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. swing — in golf
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. perch — the fish
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. present — there
  19. swing — to play on
  20. can — a tin
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. present — a gift
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rush — to hurry

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