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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: bound · lash · bass · hide · pitch · calf · bank · pop

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pop — to visit
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bank — for money
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pop — music
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bound — tied together
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pop — soda
  21. bass — low music
  22. pitch — completely
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bank — of a river

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