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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fork — in a road
  5. shower — rain
  6. rash — a series
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. shower — to wash
  15. rash — hasty
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bank — for money
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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