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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: cabinet · mouse · kid · perch · swing · trunk · mine · bank

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. kid — to tease
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. kid — child
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. swing — in golf
  24. mine — for digging

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