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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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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: straw · saw · lean · swing · cabinet · perch · face · kick

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. face — part of the head
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. perch — the fish
  11. saw — the tool
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. swing — music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. kick — in football
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. saw — the tool
  24. kick — with a leg

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