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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bank — of a river
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. hand — in cards
  12. current — of water
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. perch — the fish
  15. current — happening now
  16. fine — all right
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bank — for money
  19. current — electric
  20. hand — help
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. spring — of water
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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