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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · lie · swing · fine · bank · key · hand · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. hand — in cards
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. fine — high quality
  12. hand — help
  13. bank — of a river
  14. key — for a lock
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. perch — the fish
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bank — for money
  19. key — in music
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fine — all right
  22. swing — music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bank — for money

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