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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: perch · chest · spell · fall · drill · prune · foot · bank

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fall — the season
  4. drill — a practice
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spell — a short time
  7. perch — the fish
  8. prune — to trim
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bank — for money
  11. drill — army training
  12. bank — for money
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. foot — a measure
  16. fall — to drop
  17. chest — a box
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chest — of your body
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fall — to drop
  24. drill — the tool

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