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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 124 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bank — of a river
  4. staff — a stick
  5. season — of the year
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bank — for money
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. season — in sport
  11. staff — employees
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bank — for money
  14. net — after costs
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. net — in sport
  17. fine — all right
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fine — high quality
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. net — for catching
  23. staff — employees
  24. perch — the fish

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