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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: chip · bound · land · rash · suit · hide · bank · saw

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bound — tied together
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. suit — clothes
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bound — obliged
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bound — certain
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bank — for money
  14. chip — to eat
  15. saw — the tool
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rash — a series
  18. saw — the tool
  19. land — a country
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. chip — for betting
  22. land — to come down
  23. bank — for money
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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