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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: hide · bore · content · coach · cabinet · bulb · bank · firm

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bank — for money
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. content — the amount
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. content — happy
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bore — to drill
  14. firm — steady
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. bank — for money
  22. bulb — for light
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bulb — for light

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