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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. lean — thin
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. suit — to fit
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. board — a committee
  7. lean — to bend
  8. swing — music
  9. suit — in cards
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. spell — a short time
  14. lie — to recline
  15. spell — magic
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. board — to get on
  19. spell — letters
  20. perch — the fish
  21. swing — in golf
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. suit — clothes
  24. swing — to play on

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