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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bank — for money
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bank — for money
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. spell — letters
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. spring — a coil
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. face — to confront
  16. toast — bread
  17. spring — of water
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. spell — magic
  20. spring — the season
  21. spell — a short time
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. racket — for tennis

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