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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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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: suit · ruler · snap · chair · cell · bank · mouse · bear

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. suit — in cards
  14. chair — a leader
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. snap — to click
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bank — for money
  22. suit — clothes
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. ruler — for measuring

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