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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: bear · wake · cabinet · cell · mouse · coach · degree · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bank — for money
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bank — of a river
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bear — the animal
  23. degree — an amount
  24. cabinet — ministers

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