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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lean — to bend
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. swing — to play on
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. swing — music
  9. tube — the underground
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. perch — the fish
  12. lean — thin
  13. club — for dancing
  14. mark — a grade
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. club — for golf
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. swing — in golf
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. arm — part of the body

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