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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 120 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bank — of a river
  8. degree — from a university
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bank — for money
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bank — for money
  22. kick — in football
  23. bear — the animal
  24. shower — rain

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