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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.

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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rule — government
  4. lean — thin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bank — for money
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bank — for money
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lean — to bend
  16. snap — to click
  17. rule — a law
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. perch — the fish
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rule — to rule out

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