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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. swing — music
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. snap — to click
  5. bank — of a river
  6. swing — to play on
  7. land — to come down
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bore — to tire
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. perch — the fish
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bank — for money
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bank — for money
  22. bore — to drill
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a skill

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