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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: bank · jam · hand · bat · perch · face · bear · rush

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. hand — help
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bank — for money
  9. hand — in cards
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. face — to confront
  24. rush — a thrill

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