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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bank — for money
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. charge — in control
  14. bank — of a river
  15. court — of law
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. court — of a king
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. charge — a price
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. court — for sport
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bank — for money

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