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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: swing · wind · stand · perch · craft · pass · spell · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. craft — a skill
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. craft — boats
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wind — moving air
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. wind — moving air
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. stand — to bear
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. swing — to play on
  24. spell — letters

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