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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bank — of a river
  3. tube — the underground
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bank — for money
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bank — for money
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. spring — a coil
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. cap — a hat
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. chair — a leader
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. spring — of water
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. firm — steady
  23. spring — the season
  24. hide — to keep secret

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