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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: craft · present · date · wind · bear · bank · hide · rock

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bear — the animal
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rock — music
  7. bank — for money
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bank — of a river
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wind — moving air
  12. present — a gift
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bear — the animal
  15. date — the fruit
  16. craft — boats
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. bank — for money

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