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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. lean — thin
  3. bank — of a river
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bank — for money
  15. drill — army training
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bank — for money
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. lean — to bend
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cabinet — ministers

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