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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. toast — bread
  3. bank — for money
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. branch — a division
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cap — a hat
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cap — a lid
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cap — of ice
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bank — for money
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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