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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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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: cabinet · sharp · trunk · can · pound · saw · bank · bear

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bear — the animal
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. can — to be able to
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bear — the animal
  20. sharp — clever
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. can — a tin
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. can — a tin

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