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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. stand — to bear
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rock — music
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mine — for digging
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. cell — a phone
  12. chair — a leader
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bank — for money
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cell — in biology

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