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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: wind · dip · staff · leaves · perch · bank · sharp · present

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. present — the time now
  3. wind — moving air
  4. sharp — clever
  5. present — a gift
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. staff — employees
  11. bank — for money
  12. present — there
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. dip — to sink
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bank — for money
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bank — of a river
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. staff — employees
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. perch — the fish
  24. sharp — with an edge

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