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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. land — a country
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bank — for money
  7. land — to come down
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. net — for catching
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. land — ground
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. net — in sport
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. net — after costs
  23. shower — rain
  24. trunk — of an elephant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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