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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 120 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. drill — army training
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. band — a ring
  13. bank — of a river
  14. drill — a practice
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pitch — completely
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a music group
  24. bank — for money

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