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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bank — of a river
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. land — a country
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bank — for money
  15. band — a ring
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. chest — a box
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bank — for money
  22. mark — a trace
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chest — of your body

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