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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pass — a permit
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. shower — to wash
  6. land — a country
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. shower — rain
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. land — to come down
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bank — for money
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. perch — the fish

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