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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: bear · bass · face · craft · leaves · snap · bank · perch

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. face — part of the head
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bass — low music
  8. face — to point toward
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. face — to confront
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bank — of a river
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. perch — the fish
  20. craft — boats
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bank — for money

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