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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — an illness
  4. foot — a measure
  5. perch — the fish
  6. object — to protest
  7. current — electric
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. current — of water
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. lean — thin
  13. object — an aim
  14. lean — to bend
  15. cold — not warm
  16. bank — of a river
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. current — happening now
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bank — for money
  21. fork — in a road
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. object — a thing
  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