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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bark — to shout
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bank — for money
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. perch — the fish
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bank — for money
  13. last — final
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. snap — to click
  19. last — finally
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. last — to go on
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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