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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 120 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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. root — the cause
  4. row — a line
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bank — for money
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bank — of a river
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. row — to paddle
  15. clip — a video
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bank — for money
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. spring — of water
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. perch — the fish
  23. sharp — clever
  24. row — a quarrel

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