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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — to cut
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bank — of a river
  9. object — a thing
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bank — for money
  12. object — to protest
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. object — an aim
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. perch — the fish
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. coach — a trainer
  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