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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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Word bank
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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: racket · perch · lie · file · mine · bank · lean · chest

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mine — for digging
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. file — a document
  7. lean — thin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. lean — to bend
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chest — of your body
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. file — a line of people
  22. chest — a box
  23. bank — for money
  24. file — a tool

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