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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. mug — a cup
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bank — of a river
  12. sharp — clever
  13. branch — a division
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mug — a face

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