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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. spell — a short time
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. band — a music group
  6. fall — to drop
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bank — for money
  9. spell — letters
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bank — for money
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. fall — the season
  21. band — a ring
  22. bore — to drill
  23. spell — magic
  24. band — a rubber band

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