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

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. march — music
  3. bank — for money
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. march — the month
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bank — for money
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bank — of a river
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. squash — to crush
  16. march — the month
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. squash — the sport
  21. sharp — clever
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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