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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: bank · bear · rest · leaves · scale · cell

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rest — a break
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bear — the animal
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. scale — in music
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bear — the animal
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bank — for money
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — a phone
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rest — what's left
  18. 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