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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bank — of a river
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. fall — to drop
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bank — for money
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. charge — in control
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. can — a tin
  18. fall — the season
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. charge — a price
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. can — a tin
  24. bank — for money

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