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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bank — for money
  5. object — a thing
  6. bank — for money
  7. mark — a trace
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bound — obliged
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hand — help
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bound — tied together
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. deal — to handle
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — to protest
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bound — certain
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bank — of a river
  24. deal — an agreement

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