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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. sharp — clever
  4. clip — to cut
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bank — for money
  7. present — the time now
  8. staff — employees
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. court — of a king
  11. perch — the fish
  12. present — a gift
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. staff — employees
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bank — of a river
  18. present — there
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. clip — for paper
  22. staff — a stick
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. clip — a video

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