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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 120 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
468
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: wound · cue · perch · bank · bound · mug · bear · mine

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bound — certain
  7. mug — to rob
  8. cue — a signal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mug — a face
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bank — for money
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bank — for money
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cue — a hint
  23. perch — the fish
  24. wound — an injury

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