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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: prune · press · pitcher · lean · spell · mouse · perch · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. perch — the fish
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. spell — magic
  7. lean — thin
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. press — a publisher
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spell — letters
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. press — to push
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lean — to rest against

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