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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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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: row · chip · ground · hide · bank · stick · dip · spell

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bank — of a river
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. spell — a short time
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. row — a line
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. row — to paddle
  21. chip — for betting
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ground — the earth

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