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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: bank · hide · land · season · calf · mine · rock · squash

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bank — of a river
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bank — for money
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. season — of the year
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. rock — a stone
  15. land — to come down
  16. bank — for money
  17. land — a country
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rock — music
  21. land — ground
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mine — for digging

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