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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: lean · hide · bank · firm · bark · band · bowl · mate

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. band — a music group
  4. firm — a company
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bank — for money
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bank — for money
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. mate — to breed
  13. lean — thin
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mate — a partner
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. firm — steady
  20. band — a ring
  21. bank — of a river
  22. firm — decided
  23. band — a rubber band
  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