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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: land · deal · perch · bank · leaves · arm · sharp · tear

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. tear — from crying
  4. land — ground
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. land — a country
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bank — for money
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. land — to come down
  12. deal — to handle
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. perch — the fish
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. tear — from crying
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. sharp — clever
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bank — of a river
  24. leaves — of a tree

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