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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cold — not warm
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. content — the amount
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bank — for money
  10. tube — the underground
  11. cold — an illness
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bass — low music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. lie — to recline
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bank — of a river
  22. tube — a container
  23. bank — for money
  24. content — happy

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