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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 116 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 · calf · kick · trunk · march · spring · bulb

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. swing — music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bulb — for light
  10. march — the month
  11. spring — of water
  12. bulb — for light
  13. perch — the fish
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. spring — the season
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. swing — in golf
  22. kick — in football
  23. march — music
  24. spring — a coil

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