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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bank — for money
  6. perch — the fish
  7. squash — the sport
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mine — for digging
  11. swing — to play on
  12. lean — thin
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. squash — to crush
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bank — for money
  20. lean — to bend
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. swing — music

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