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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: perch · calf · clip · swing · lean · cabinet · fan · pitcher

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. clip — a video
  3. swing — music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. clip — for paper
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. clip — to cut
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. swing — to play on
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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