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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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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: kick · roll · saw · foot · ruler · cell · bank · bear

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cell — a phone
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cell — in biology
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bank — of a river
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. saw — the tool
  22. kick — in football
  23. foot — a measure
  24. roll — a cake

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