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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bank — for money
  5. wound — an injury
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. staff — a stick
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. staff — employees
  19. mine — for digging
  20. wake — a trail
  21. staff — employees
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bank — of a river

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