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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: hide · land · bank · fine · roll · swing · game · leaves

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. roll — a list
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. swing — to play on
  6. fine — high quality
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bank — of a river
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bank — for money
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — a match
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bank — for money
  20. fine — all right
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. swing — music
  24. land — ground

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