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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bank — for money
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. land — ground
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pound — a weight
  10. root — of a word
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bank — for money
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. root — of a plant
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. land — to come down
  19. root — the cause
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. land — a country

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