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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. perch — the fish
  4. track — to keep track
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cell — a phone
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bank — for money
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bat — the animal
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. track — a path
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bank — of a river
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. track — a song

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