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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. spell — a short time
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. spell — letters
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stock — shares
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bank — for money
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. bore — to tire
  23. spell — magic
  24. nail — for a hammer

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