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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fine — all right
  3. bank — of a river
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bound — certain
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. fine — high quality
  9. kick — in football
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. content — the amount
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bank — for money
  24. content — happy

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