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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: mine · bank · suit · perch · bulb · straw · rush · last

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bank — for money
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bank — for money
  6. rush — hurry
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bulb — for light
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. last — to go on
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bank — of a river
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. last — final
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. suit — in cards
  22. last — finally
  23. mine — for digging
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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