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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. staff — employees
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. swing — to play on
  6. staff — a stick
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rule — a law
  10. pass — a permit
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. swing — music
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. staff — employees
  23. rule — government
  24. fork — in a road

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