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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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lean — thin
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bank — for money
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bank — of a river
  11. band — a ring
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bore — to drill
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. band — a music group
  17. bore — to tire
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bank — for money
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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