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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. scale — size or range
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bank — of a river
  7. season — of the year
  8. scale — in music
  9. bank — for money
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. tube — the underground
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bank — for money
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. tube — a container
  23. season — in sport
  24. trunk — of a tree

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