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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: coach · file · bank · bear · season · trunk · mouse · tube

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. season — of the year
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bank — for money
  8. bear — the animal
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bank — for money
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. file — a tool
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bank — of a river
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. file — a document
  18. season — in sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. tube — a container
  24. file — a line of people

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