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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: stand · lash · stick · leaves · straw · swing · can · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. swing — music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. swing — to play on
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. swing — in golf
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. can — a tin
  22. stand — to bear
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. leaves — to go away

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