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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. bat — for baseball
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. present — the time now
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bank — for money
  8. spring — the season
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. spring — of water
  14. perch — the fish
  15. present — a gift
  16. spring — a coil
  17. present — there
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — letters
  20. bat — the animal
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pass — a permit
  23. perch — for a bird
  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