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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bank — for money
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bank — for money
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bank — of a river
  10. squash — to crush
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — a face
  13. chest — of your body
  14. perch — the fish
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mug — to rob
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. chest — a box
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chest — of your body

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