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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 116 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rest — what's left
  4. spring — of water
  5. lean — thin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spring — the season
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bank — for money
  10. rest — a break
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. chair — a leader
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bank — for money
  19. spring — a coil
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lean — to bend

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