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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bank — for money
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. can — a tin
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rest — what's left
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rash — a series
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wound — an injury
  18. can — a tin
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bank — for money
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rest — a break

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