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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 120 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: trunk · court · hide · wind · bank · dip · bowl · rash

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. court — of a king
  4. dip — to sink
  5. court — of law
  6. rash — hasty
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bank — of a river
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bank — for money
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rash — a series
  15. bank — for money
  16. wind — moving air
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. court — for sport
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. hide — to keep secret

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