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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.

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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: pop · mouse · hide · cabinet · perch · bank · toast · wake

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. pop — music
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wake — a trail
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. toast — bread
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pop — to visit
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bank — of a river
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pop — soda
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bank — for money

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