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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. spell — a short time
  3. wound — an injury
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wound — an injury
  6. spell — magic
  7. pop — soda
  8. perch — the fish
  9. club — for golf
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. spell — letters
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. swing — to play on
  18. club — for dancing
  19. swing — music
  20. club — a group
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bear — the animal

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