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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: bear · rash · hide · hand · field · board · coach · bank

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. field — a subject
  6. hand — help
  7. bank — for money
  8. board — a committee
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. board — to get on
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rash — a series
  14. bear — the animal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. field — for sport
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. field — farmland
  23. bank — of a river
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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