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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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Word bank
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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: hide · sharp · game · mug · leaves · bank · squash · bear

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mug — a face
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bear — the animal
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. game — a match
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bank — of a river
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bank — for money
  16. game — wild animals
  17. sharp — clever
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mug — a cup
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bank — for money
  24. mug — to rob

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