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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cold — not warm
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. branch — a division
  8. bank — for money
  9. craft — boats
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. craft — a skill
  12. kick — in football
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bank — of a river
  17. perch — the fish
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bank — for money

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