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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bank — of a river
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. lie — to recline
  9. snap — to click
  10. bank — for money
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. chest — of your body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chest — of your body
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bank — for money
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — a cake
  21. perch — the fish
  22. current — electric
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. roll — on a roll

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