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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bank — for money
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. spell — letters
  8. kid — to tease
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. spell — magic
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spell — a short time
  14. firm — a company
  15. branch — a division
  16. firm — decided
  17. bank — for money
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cap — a hat
  21. kid — child
  22. firm — steady
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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