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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 116 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. lean — to bend
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cell — a phone
  14. season — in sport
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lean — thin
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. perch — the fish
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — in a prison

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