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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · leaves · cabinet · key · bear · ground · degree · trunk

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. bank — of a river
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bank — for money
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. key — the most important part
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. ground — crushed
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bank — for money
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. ground — a position
  17. degree — an amount
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. ground — the earth
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bear — the animal
  23. key — in music
  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