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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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. file — a line of people
  4. kid — child
  5. swing — to play on
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. charge — in control
  11. file — a document
  12. perch — the fish
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — to tease
  15. stock — shares
  16. file — a tool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stock — goods
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. charge — a price
  24. swing — in golf

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