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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.

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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: clip · rash · bound · temple · perch · present · rush · swing

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. swing — in golf
  3. clip — a video
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. present — there
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bound — obliged
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. present — a gift
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bound — certain
  18. rush — hurry
  19. present — the time now
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. swing — music
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — to cut

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