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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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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: leaves · swing · fall · snap · row · tube · perch · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. row — to paddle
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. snap — to click
  7. swing — to play on
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. perch — the fish
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. tube — a container
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. swing — in golf
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. swing — music
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. row — a line

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