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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: hide · rule · swing · plane · perch · wound · leaves · band

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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. perch — the fish
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rule — government
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. band — a music group
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. band — a ring
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wound — an injury
  19. plane — a tool
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. rule — a law
  23. plane — in geometry
  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