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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · lie · rash · cabinet · perch · tube · hand · march

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. tube — a container
  3. rash — a series
  4. march — the month
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. swing — music
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. march — music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rash — hasty
  14. hand — in cards
  15. perch — the fish
  16. lie — to recline
  17. swing — to play on
  18. hand — help
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. swing — in golf
  23. march — the month
  24. lie — an untruth

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