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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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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: board · arm · swing · foot · wave · plane · perch · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. swing — music
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. snap — to click
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. swing — in golf
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. foot — a measure
  15. plane — a tool
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. board — a committee
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. swing — to play on
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wave — with your hand

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