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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bank — for money
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bear — the animal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bank — for money
  15. perch — the fish
  16. hand — help
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. game — a match
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bank — of a river
  24. game — wild animals

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