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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. fall — to drop
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fall — the season
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. firm — decided
  11. clip — for paper
  12. file — a document
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stock — goods
  15. firm — a company
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — to cut
  18. file — a tool
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. firm — steady
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. file — a line of people
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — a soup base

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