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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: track · hide · ball · bank · chest · suit · tear · stick

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. chest — of your body
  4. track — a song
  5. ball — a dance
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bank — of a river
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bank — for money
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bank — for money
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. tear — from crying
  14. track — to keep track
  15. suit — to fit
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. chest — of your body
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. suit — in cards
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ball — a great time
  22. track — a path
  23. suit — clothes
  24. tear — to rip

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