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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 · club · straw · lie · swing · pound · bay · fan

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. swing — to play on
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. club — a group
  11. pound — a weight
  12. lie — to recline
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. club — for golf
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. swing — music
  24. club — for dancing

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