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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · hide · bank · mine · bear · kick · mark · chair

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bank — of a river
  5. spell — magic
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mark — a grade
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. kick — in football
  16. chair — a leader
  17. mine — for digging
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. spell — letters
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bear — the animal

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