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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. perch — the fish
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. face — part of the head
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. clip — a video
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bank — for money
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. clip — for paper
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. clip — to cut
  23. face — to confront
  24. calf — a young animal

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