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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: plane · bank · bowl · ball · content · spring · hide · bat

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. plane — a tool
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. spring — a coil
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. content — the amount
  11. ball — a dance
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. spring — the season
  16. bat — the animal
  17. content — happy
  18. bank — for money
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bank — for money
  21. spring — of water
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. ball — a great time

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