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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.

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: clip · bay · leaves · ball · perch · swing · ruler · rush

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rush — hurry
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — music
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — a video
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. clip — for paper
  20. perch — the fish
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. swing — to play on
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rush — to hurry

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