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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. foot — a measure
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. charge — electricity
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ground — a position
  8. charge — a price
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. ground — crushed
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ground — the earth
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. charge — in control
  18. perch — the fish

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