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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 · rush · mouse · bound · nail · cell · pop · wake

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pop — music
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bound — obliged
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bound — certain
  23. cell — a phone
  24. pop — soda

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