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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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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: kick · last · fall · suit · perch · drill · stand · swing

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. swing — in golf
  3. last — final
  4. kick — in football
  5. perch — the fish
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. suit — clothes
  13. swing — music
  14. fall — the season
  15. swing — to play on
  16. stand — to bear
  17. drill — army training
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. last — to go on
  22. drill — the tool
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. suit — in cards

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