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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: swing · kick · ground · tube · perch · hide · drill · stand

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. swing — to play on
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. drill — a practice
  10. perch — the fish
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. drill — the tool
  13. ground — a position
  14. drill — army training
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. kick — in football
  17. tube — a container
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. swing — in golf
  21. tube — the underground
  22. stand — to bear
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. hide — to keep secret

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