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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bank — for money
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. shower — rain
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. lean — to bend
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lean — thin
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. perch — for a bird

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