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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 116 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. clip — to cut
  3. perch — the fish
  4. staff — employees
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wound — an injury
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. staff — employees
  9. wound — an injury
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. can — to be able to
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. can — a tin
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. can — a tin
  19. staff — a stick
  20. rush — hurry
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — a video
  23. rash — hasty
  24. branch — a division

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