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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.

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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: kick · mate · chip · scale · wound · foot · hide · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wound — an injury
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. wound — an injury
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. foot — a measure
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bank — for money
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. mate — a friend
  18. chip — for betting
  19. scale — size or range
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. chip — to eat
  22. scale — in music
  23. bank — for money
  24. kick — in football

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