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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 116 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wake — a trail
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bank — for money
  6. degree — from a university
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rest — a break
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rest — what's left
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. suit — to fit
  16. rash — a series
  17. degree — temperature
  18. suit — clothes
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bank — for money
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bank — of a river

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