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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · fine · perch · scale · lean · bay · rash · charge

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. swing — to play on
  3. charge — electricity
  4. swing — in golf
  5. lean — thin
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. swing — music
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. scale — size or range
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. perch — the fish
  17. charge — a price
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rash — a series
  20. charge — in control
  21. rash — hasty
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. scale — in music

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