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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. swing — in golf
  9. season — in sport
  10. perch — the fish
  11. season — of the year
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. row — a line
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — a leader
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bark — to shout
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bark — of a tree

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