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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · prune · bear · key · clip · suit · bank · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. clip — a video
  7. bear — the animal
  8. suit — clothes
  9. prune — to trim
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bank — for money
  12. kick — in football
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bank — of a river
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bank — for money
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bear — the animal
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. key — the most important part

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