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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: present · club · bound · content · swing · perch · face · hide

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. content — the amount
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. face — to point toward
  7. swing — to play on
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — a gift
  13. club — for golf
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bound — tied together
  16. swing — in golf
  17. face — part of the head
  18. swing — music
  19. club — a group
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. club — for dancing
  22. present — there
  23. face — to confront
  24. content — happy

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