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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — farmland
  4. bank — for money
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. squash — the sport
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bank — of a river
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. hand — help
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. branch — a division
  17. field — a subject
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. tube — a container
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bank — for money
  24. hand — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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