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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pound — a weight
  3. mate — a friend
  4. perch — the fish
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. scale — size or range
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bank — for money
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bank — for money
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. mate — a partner
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. scale — in music
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bark — to shout
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pound — to hit hard

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