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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · chair · board · saw · hide · bank · ball · kid

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. spring — a coil
  3. saw — the tool
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. bank — of a river
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bank — for money
  15. ball — a great time
  16. chair — a leader
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — child
  20. saw — the tool
  21. board — to get on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. board — a committee

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