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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 116 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. row — to paddle
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. branch — a division
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mark — a trace
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. tear — to rip
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. row — a line
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bank — for money
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. mark — a grade
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. row — a quarrel

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