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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: coach · jam · perch · suit · wind · key · fall · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wind — moving air
  7. suit — to fit
  8. fall — the season
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. key — the most important part
  12. fall — to drop
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. fall — to drop
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wound — an injury
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. key — in music
  24. jam — a tight spot

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