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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. perch — the fish
  5. land — to come down
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mate — to breed
  11. land — a country
  12. ball — a great time
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — a friend
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. land — ground
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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