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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · chip · deal · straw · hide · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. chip — for betting
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bank — for money
  9. chip — to eat
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bank — for money
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bowl — to roll

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