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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bank — for money
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mug — a face
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bank — for money
  10. bark — to shout
  11. perch — the fish
  12. clip — a video
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bank — of a river
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mate — a friend

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