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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. present — there
  3. object — an aim
  4. swing — to play on
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. object — to protest
  10. branch — a division
  11. swing — in golf
  12. kick — in football
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. object — a thing
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. present — a gift
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. perch — the fish
  21. present — the time now
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. hide — to keep secret

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