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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: perch · swing · bowl · key · lash · tear · chair · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. key — for a lock
  4. tear — from crying
  5. key — in music
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. swing — to play on
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. swing — in golf
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chair — a leader
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. key — the most important part
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. tear — from crying
  23. swing — music
  24. tear — to rip

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