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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 124 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 water is too ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. ground — the earth
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. root — of a word
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. ground — a position
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bank — for money
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bank — for money
  23. ground — crushed
  24. root — the cause

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