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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. press — to push
  3. object — to protest
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bank — for money
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. object — a thing
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fork — in a road
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bank — of a river
  16. perch — the fish
  17. scale — in music
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. object — an aim
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bank — for money

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