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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: squash · nail · swing · staff · bound · wave · saw · perch

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. swing — music
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. staff — employees
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bound — certain
  12. swing — to play on
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bound — tied together
  15. saw — the tool
  16. squash — the sport
  17. staff — a stick
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. perch — the fish
  22. swing — in golf
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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