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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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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: leaves · drill · rest · perch · fork · chair · bat · bank

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. perch — the fish
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bank — for money
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bank — for money
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. drill — a practice
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chair — a leader
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rest — a break
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bank — of a river

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