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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rule — government
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. rule — a law
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bank — for money
  13. bound — obliged
  14. perch — the fish
  15. stock — goods
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stock — shares
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bank — for money
  24. bound — tied together

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