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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 124 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bank — for money
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bore — to tire
  6. object — a thing
  7. rash — a series
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. object — to protest
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bank — for money
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. shower — rain
  20. bore — to drill
  21. perch — the fish
  22. object — an aim
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of a tree

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