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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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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: perch · pitcher · tear · trunk · swing · bound · wind · suit

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. swing — in golf
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. swing — music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bound — certain
  10. tear — to rip
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bound — tied together
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wind — moving air

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