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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. spell — magic
  7. date — the fruit
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. spell — letters
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bank — for money
  13. rush — hurry
  14. spell — a short time
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bank — for money
  19. saw — the tool
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bank — of a river
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. band — a ring
  24. perch — the fish

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