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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mate — a partner
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. content — happy
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mate — to breed
  10. court — of law
  11. bank — for money
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. content — the amount
  14. bank — for money
  15. mate — a friend
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. perch — the fish

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