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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. root — of a word
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. drill — the tool
  5. branch — a division
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. sharp — clever
  8. cell — in biology
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. root — of a plant
  14. can — to be able to
  15. drill — a practice
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. drill — army training
  20. root — the cause
  21. cell — a phone
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. can — a tin
  24. cell — in a prison

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