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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. prune — to trim
  4. present — there
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. present — the time now
  7. current — happening now
  8. bank — for money
  9. present — a gift
  10. prune — to trim
  11. kick — in football
  12. perch — the fish
  13. current — of water
  14. content — happy
  15. bank — of a river
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. current — electric
  21. lie — to recline
  22. content — the amount
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. content — videos and posts

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