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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. squash — the sport
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bank — of a river
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bank — for money
  17. chip — to eat
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. snap — to click
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. chip — for betting
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. squash — to crush
  24. nail — on a finger

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