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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 · bear · current · patient · wax · squash · bowl · bank

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. current — electric
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bank — for money
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. current — happening now
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. current — of water
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. perch — the fish
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bank — for money
  22. wax — to grow
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bowl — a football final

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