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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: rest · swing · perch · pitch · snap · mug · branch · face

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rest — what's left
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rest — what's left
  5. swing — to play on
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. swing — music
  10. rest — a break
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mug — a cup
  16. snap — to click
  17. pitch — completely
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mug — a face
  23. perch — the fish
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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