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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 · perch · bowl · saw · lie · straw · pass · season

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. lie — to recline
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. swing — music
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. saw — the tool
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. season — in sport
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. perch — the fish
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. season — of the year
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bowl — to roll

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