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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: pass · hide · bank · spring · firm · land · bat · ground

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  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. bank — for money
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spring — the season
  4. ground — a position
  5. spring — a coil
  6. land — a country
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bank — for money
  11. spring — of water
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. firm — a company
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bank — of a river
  17. firm — steady
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. land — ground
  21. firm — decided
  22. ground — crushed
  23. land — to come down
  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