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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: perch · swing · rush · firm · straw · track · lean · land

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. firm — decided
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. track — a song
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. lean — to bend
  7. swing — in golf
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. firm — a company
  11. lean — thin
  12. rush — hurry
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. track — a path
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. perch — the fish
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. track — to keep track
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. firm — steady
  22. swing — to play on
  23. land — ground
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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