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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: staff · bank · mine · cue · bear · bulb · season · trunk

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. season — of the year
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bear — the animal
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. staff — a stick
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mine — for digging
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. season — in sport
  21. bank — for money
  22. staff — employees
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cue — a signal

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