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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: wake · content · bank · bay · perch · rock · mouse · present

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. content — happy
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. perch — the fish
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rock — music
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — a stone
  15. present — the time now
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. present — there
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. present — a gift
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. content — the amount

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