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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bank — of a river
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fall — the season
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rash — hasty
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bank — for money
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bark — to shout
  23. rash — a series
  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