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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. shower — to wash
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. perch — the fish
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bank — of a river
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rock — music
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rock — a stone
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. shower — rain
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bank — for money

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