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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 120 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 · staff · safe · row · kick · tear · perch · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. perch — the fish
  4. row — a line
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. kick — in football
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. staff — employees
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. tear — from crying
  16. staff — employees
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. staff — a stick
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. swing — in golf

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