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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bank — for money
  5. bark — to shout
  6. track — a song
  7. bank — for money
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. track — a path
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. kick — in football
  12. track — to keep track
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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