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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bank — for money
  5. face — to point toward
  6. net — after costs
  7. bulb — for light
  8. face — part of the head
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. net — in sport
  17. rock — music
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. degree — from a university
  20. face — to confront
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bank — for money
  23. net — for catching
  24. patient — a sick person

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