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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ball — a dance
  6. field — farmland
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. field — for sport
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. chest — a box
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bank — of a river
  18. perch — the fish
  19. chest — of your body
  20. field — a subject
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bank — for money
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. rush — to hurry

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