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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: rest · hide · bear · spring · cabinet · bank · chip · hand

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bank — of a river
  9. chip — for betting
  10. hand — help
  11. rest — a break
  12. hand — in cards
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. spring — the season
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bank — for money
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. chip — to eat
  22. spring — of water
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. spring — a coil

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