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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. root — the cause
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — of the year
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. perch — the fish
  10. season — in sport
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bore — to tire
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wound — an injury
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. root — of a word
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wound — an injury

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