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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bank — for money
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. fine — all right
  5. shower — rain
  6. bank — of a river
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. shower — to wash
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. fine — high quality
  12. firm — steady
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. wound — an injury
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bank — for money
  17. prune — to trim
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wound — an injury
  20. firm — decided
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. firm — a company
  24. hand — help

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