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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: row · hide · pound · cell · mate · bank · trunk · bass

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pound — a weight
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mate — to breed
  12. row — a line
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bank — of a river
  16. row — to paddle
  17. mate — a friend
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bank — for money

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