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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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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: bank · bay · sharp · press · bear · kid · perch · land

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. bear — the animal
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. kid — child
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. land — to come down
  11. bank — for money
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. press — newspapers
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bear — the animal
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. kid — to tease
  21. perch — the fish
  22. press — to push
  23. land — ground
  24. land — a country

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