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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bank — of a river
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mate — to breed
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. foot — a measure
  11. perch — the fish
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. net — after costs
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. chest — a box
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. net — in sport
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mate — a partner
  23. net — for catching
  24. foot — part of the body

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