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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bank — for money
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. branch — a division
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. ball — a dance
  12. cell — a phone
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cell — in biology
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bank — for money
  18. club — for dancing
  19. staff — a stick
  20. stock — goods
  21. staff — employees
  22. club — for golf
  23. staff — employees
  24. club — a group

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