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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
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: bank · wake · leaves · cell · rush · degree · chair · scale

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. cell — a phone
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. degree — from a university
  9. cell — in biology
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bank — for money
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chair — a leader
  16. scale — in music
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bank — for money
  23. degree — an amount
  24. scale — size or range

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