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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 120 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: bank · stick · land · hide · trunk · stock · lie · mine

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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 — of a river
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. land — to come down
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. land — ground
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bank — for money
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. land — a country
  17. stock — shares
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stock — goods
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bank — for money
  23. mine — for digging
  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