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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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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 · snap · perch · bark · mine · tube · wave · board

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. swing — music
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bark — to shout
  6. tube — the underground
  7. swing — in golf
  8. tube — a container
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. mine — for digging
  14. board — to get on
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. perch — the fish
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. board — a committee
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. perch — for a bird

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