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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rock — a stone
  4. perch — the fish
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. dip — to sink
  11. row — to paddle
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. swing — in golf
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. row — a line
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. swing — music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rock — music
  24. coach — a trainer

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