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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bank — of a river
  3. can — a tin
  4. tube — the underground
  5. fork — in a road
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bank — for money
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bank — for money
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. shower — rain
  16. tube — a container
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — to wash
  20. can — a tin
  21. lean — thin
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. perch — the fish
  24. lean — to rest against

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