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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — letters
  3. perch — the fish
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bank — for money
  6. date — the fruit
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bank — for money
  9. track — a song
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. spell — a short time
  12. current — electric
  13. track — to keep track
  14. kick — in football
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. track — a path
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. bank — of a river
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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