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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pit — a hole
  5. file — a tool
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. tube — a container
  9. pit — in a race
  10. file — a document
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bank — for money
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. spell — magic
  15. file — a line of people
  16. tube — the underground
  17. spell — letters
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bank — for money
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. perch — the fish
  22. spell — a short time
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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