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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rest — a break
  4. bank — for money
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. saw — the tool
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bank — of a river
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stand — to bear
  13. march — the month
  14. rest — what's left
  15. sharp — clever
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bank — for money
  21. chair — a leader
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rest — what's left
  24. sharp — exactly

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