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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 · bowl · coach · bank · season · pass · hand · branch

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. season — in sport
  5. hand — help
  6. pass — a permit
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. season — of the year
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. branch — a division
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. hide — to keep secret

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