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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 · rule · stick · wind · swing · cue · wake · suit

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rule — government
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cue — for pool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rule — a law
  21. suit — clothes
  22. swing — in golf
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. swing — music

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