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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: racket · band · bark · fine · bank · hide · fall · clip

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. clip — a video
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. clip — to cut
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fine — high quality
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fine — all right
  13. band — a music group
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bank — for money
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fall — the season
  18. bank — for money
  19. bark — to shout
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bank — of a river
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. band — a ring

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