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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: stand · sharp · swing · bay · leaves · perch · rush · bound

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rush — hurry
  9. swing — to play on
  10. perch — the fish
  11. swing — in golf
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. swing — music
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. sharp — clever
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bound — certain
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. sharp — exactly

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