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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. spell — magic
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. spell — letters
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spell — a short time
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bear — the animal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. shower — rain
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bear — the animal
  24. leaves — of a tree

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