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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. swing — to play on
  4. game — a match
  5. deal — to handle
  6. key — in music
  7. lean — to bend
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. key — for a lock
  10. swing — in golf
  11. perch — the fish
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. swing — music
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. snap — to click
  23. lean — thin
  24. key — the most important part

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