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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 120 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bank — for money
  7. plane — a tool
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. rest — what's left
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. field — for sport
  14. bat — the animal
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. field — farmland
  18. season — in sport
  19. field — a subject
  20. season — of the year
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rest — a break
  23. mate — a partner
  24. plane — an aircraft

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