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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: coach · press · bark · object · tube · chip · hide · bank

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. object — to protest
  4. bank — for money
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. chip — to eat
  7. object — a thing
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bank — of a river
  10. chip — for betting
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. press — newspapers
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. press — to push
  16. object — an aim
  17. bank — for money
  18. tube — a container
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. press — a publisher
  24. tube — the underground

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