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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. perch — the fish
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. object — to protest
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pit — a hole
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. object — a thing
  11. rash — hasty
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bank — for money
  14. rash — a series
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pit — in a race
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bank — for money
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bank — of a river

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