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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: fan · bowl · bank · rest · clip · bear · pound · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. rest — a break
  3. bank — for money
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bank — for money
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bank — of a river
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — a video
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bear — the animal

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