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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: bear · pop · hide · bank · wake · can · craft · foot

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. foot — a measure
  3. craft — boats
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pop — to visit
  6. can — a tin
  7. bank — for money
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. can — a tin
  10. pop — music
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. can — to be able to
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bear — the animal
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. pop — soda
  20. wake — a trail
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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