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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bank — of a river
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. season — of the year
  9. wake — a trail
  10. perch — the fish
  11. season — in sport
  12. file — a tool
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rock — music
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. file — a document
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rock — a stone
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. safe — out of danger

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