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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rest — what's left
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bank — of a river
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bank — for money
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. band — a ring
  11. wound — an injury
  12. perch — the fish
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. mark — a grade
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rest — a break
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. mark — a trace
  21. band — a music group
  22. bank — for money
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. fork — in a road

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