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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: can · cabinet · wound · date · saw · roll · bay · bank

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. can — a tin
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bank — for money
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. roll — a cake
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. roll — a list
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bank — for money
  14. saw — the tool
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bank — of a river
  20. can — to be able to
  21. date — the fruit
  22. can — a tin
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. cabinet — ministers

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