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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. roll — a list
  4. kid — child
  5. lean — thin
  6. bank — of a river
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bank — for money
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bank — for money
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. tube — a container
  18. fine — all right
  19. board — a committee
  20. roll — a cake
  21. board — to get on
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fine — high quality
  24. kid — to tease

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