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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stand · hide · plane · bay · coach · season · trunk

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. season — in sport
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. stand — to bear
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bank — for money
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. season — of the year
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bank — for money
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. stand — on your feet

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