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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 · chip · suit · nail · swing · current · prune · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. current — happening now
  8. prune — to trim
  9. suit — clothes
  10. swing — in golf
  11. chip — for betting
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. swing — music
  15. suit — in cards
  16. perch — the fish
  17. current — electric
  18. lean — thin
  19. chip — to eat
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. suit — to fit
  23. current — of water
  24. swing — to play on

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