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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: file · perch · bulb · lean · fall · rock · swing · scale

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. swing — in golf
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fall — to drop
  11. swing — to play on
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rock — music
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a line of people
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bulb — for light
  18. file — a tool
  19. lean — thin
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — in music
  22. fall — the season
  23. scale — size or range
  24. swing — music

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