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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 120 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. clip — to cut
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. object — a thing
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. object — to protest
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. object — an aim
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. clip — a video
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. row — to paddle
  21. perch — the fish
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. temple — side of the head

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