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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: hide · chair · tube · pass · rock · bank · bore · cap

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bank — for money
  3. tube — a container
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bank — for money
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. rock — music
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bore — to tire
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bank — of a river
  19. chair — a leader
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pass — a permit
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rock — a stone

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