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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. net — for catching
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bank — for money
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bank — for money
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. bank — of a river
  19. mate — a friend
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — from a university
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bear — the animal

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