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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.

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: mine · bank · hide · vault · ground · swing · can · bear

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bank — for money
  4. bear — the animal
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. vault — a safe
  10. can — a tin
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mine — for digging
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. can — a tin
  20. ground — a position
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bank — for money
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bank — of a river

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