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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. tube — the underground
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. row — to paddle
  6. clip — a video
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. clip — to cut
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. row — a line
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. clip — for paper
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. tube — a container
  18. perch — the fish
  19. snap — to click
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. tube — in a tire
  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