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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: mouse · board · bank · press · hand · clip · perch · spell

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. spell — magic
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. clip — to cut
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. spell — a short time
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. spell — letters
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. clip — a video
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. press — to push
  18. clip — for paper
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a committee
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hand — help
  24. bank — for money

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