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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: hide · wind · bat · bowl · bank · key · safe · mine

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. key — in music
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mine — for digging
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. key — the most important part
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bank — for money
  24. hide — animal skin

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