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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.

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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. season — in sport
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. season — of the year
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mark — a trace
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. court — of law
  17. branch — a division
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. court — for sport
  21. mark — a grade
  22. court — of a king
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. nail — for a hammer

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