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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bank — for money
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bound — certain
  8. roll — a list
  9. bank — for money
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. roll — a cake
  12. last — to go on
  13. cell — in biology
  14. last — final
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bound — tied together
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bank — of a river
  19. cell — a phone
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bound — obliged
  23. perch — the fish
  24. craft — boats

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