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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 120 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: perch · nail · bear · shower · hand · bank · coach · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. hand — help
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. mug — a cup
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bear — the animal
  15. shower — to wash
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. shower — rain
  18. hand — in cards
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bank — for money
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bank — for money
  24. hand — part of the body

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