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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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. can — a tin
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. can — a tin
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bank — of a river
  11. last — to go on
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pound — a weight
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. last — finally
  16. bore — to tire
  17. last — final
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bay — a horse colour

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