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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. club — a group
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cap — a hat
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bear — the animal
  17. drill — the tool
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. drill — a practice
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. drill — army training
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bear — to put up with
  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