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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: hand · bank · safe · swing · kid · hide · fork · land

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. kid — child
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bank — of a river
  7. land — to come down
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bank — for money
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. land — ground
  13. bank — for money
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. kid — to tease
  18. hand — help
  19. swing — to play on
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. land — a country
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. hide — animal skin

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