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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: rest · bulb · bank · perch · calf · last · mouse · spring

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bulb — for light
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rest — what's left
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. last — finally
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — the season
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. perch — the fish
  20. rest — a break
  21. last — to go on
  22. spring — of water
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mouse — the animal

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