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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 · bank · wave · swing · wound · lie · net · land

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. net — for catching
  4. land — ground
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bank — of a river
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. land — a country
  11. wound — an injury
  12. net — after costs
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. perch — the fish
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. net — in sport
  17. land — to come down
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. swing — music
  22. bank — for money
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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