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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 120 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 · mouse · face · perch · wave · cap · fan · object

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bank — for money
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — of ice
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bank — for money
  13. object — an aim
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. face — part of the head
  16. object — to protest
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. face — to confront
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. object — a thing
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. perch — the fish
  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