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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. band — a ring
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. kick — in football
  8. pass — a permit
  9. perch — the fish
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bank — of a river
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bank — for money
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bulb — for light
  23. clip — a video
  24. band — a music group

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