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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: racket · dip · hide · bank · cold · coach · arm · row

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. row — to paddle
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bank — for money
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cold — not warm
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bank — of a river
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. row — a line
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. dip — to sink

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