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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. saw — the tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rush — hurry
  10. swing — in golf
  11. hand — in cards
  12. fall — to drop
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. fall — to drop
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. board — to get on
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. swing — music
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fall — the season
  23. swing — to play on
  24. hand — help

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