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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. foot — a measure
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bank — for money
  11. can — to be able to
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bank — for money
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bank — of a river
  17. can — a tin
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. scale — in music
  20. lie — to recline
  21. can — a tin
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mine — for digging

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