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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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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: cabinet · bank · wind · tear · ground · rest · perch · trunk

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. ground — a position
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. tear — to rip
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rest — a break
  17. tear — from crying
  18. ground — the earth
  19. rest — what's left
  20. perch — the fish
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rest — what's left

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