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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 120 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: firm · mug · lash · spring · swing · lean · perch · cap

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. swing — in golf
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cap — a hat
  5. mug — a face
  6. cap — of ice
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. firm — a company
  11. perch — the fish
  12. swing — to play on
  13. spring — a coil
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. spring — of water
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mug — a cup
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. swing — music
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mug — to rob
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. spring — the season
  24. firm — steady

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