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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. perch — the fish
  3. lie — to recline
  4. track — a song
  5. prune — to trim
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fine — high quality
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. track — a path
  13. swing — in golf
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. band — a ring
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. track — to keep track
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fine — all right

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