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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. file — a tool
  7. mark — a trace
  8. staff — a stick
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mark — a grade
  11. file — a document
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pit — a hole
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. staff — employees
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. file — a line of people
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bank — for money
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. staff — employees
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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